Materials science of the gel to fluid phase transition in a supported phospholipid bilayer.
We report the results of in situ AFM measurements examining the phase transition of bilayers formed from the zwitterionic phospholipid, DMPC, 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, supported on mica. The images show that the fluid to gel phase transition process features substantial tearing of the bilayer due to the density change between the two phases. The gel to fluid transition is strongly affected by the resultant stress introduced into the gel phase, which changes the degree of cooperativity, the shape of developing fluid phase regions, and the course of the transition.
Xie
Anne Feng
AF
Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801, USA.
Yamada
Ryo
R
Gewirth
Andrew A
AA
Granick
Steve
S
D000538:Aluminum Silicates / Q000737:chemistry; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004134:Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine / Q000737:chemistry*; D005782:Gels / Q000737:chemistry; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force
D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D005782:Gels; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D004134:Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine; C011934:mica