Temperature and pressure dependent growth and morphology of DMPC/DSPC domains studied by Brewster angle microscopy.
In this work, the temperature and pressure dependent growth of domains in DMPC/DSPC monolayers at various molar ratios was studied by Brewster angle microscopy. Upon compression, roughly discoidal domains with some branching are formed. Further compression leads to an increase in both the number and the average size of the domains, which range between ca. 5 and 20 microm. The isobaric heating of the monolayers results in a gradual decrease of the domain size until their disappearance. The size and morphology of the domains depend not only on equilibrium parameters such as temperature, pressure and composition, but appear to be also strongly dependent on non-equilibrium parameters such as the rate of perturbation. The comparison between our results and those previously published for bilayers allows us to infer that the growth behaviour in monolayers can be qualitatively but not quantitatively extrapolated to bilayers.
Arnold
Alexandre
A
Department of Chemistry, Centre de Recherche en Sciences et Ingénierie des Macromolécules, Université Laval, Québec city, Québec, G1K 7P4, Canada.
Cloutier
Isabelle
I
Ritcey
Anna M
AM
Auger
Michèle
M
D004134:Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine / Q000737:chemistry*; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D021962:Membrane Microdomains / Q000737:chemistry*; D008853:Microscopy; D044367:Phase Transition; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000737:chemistry*; D011312:Pressure; D055672:Static Electricity; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature
D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; C010942:1,2-distearoyllecithin; D004134:Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine