Tension-induced morphological transition in mixed lipid bilayers.
Recently, Rozovsky et al. reported on the morphology and dynamics of superstructures in three-component lipid bilayers containing saturated lipid, unsaturated lipid, and cholesterol (Rozovsky, S.; Kaizuka, Y.; Groves, J. T. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 36). We suggest that the observed sequence of the striped-to-hexagonal morphological transition in mixed bilayers can be attributed to an enhanced membrane surface tension that is induced by the vesicle adhesion onto the solid surface.
Komura
S
S
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan. komura@comp.metro-u.ac.jp
Shimokawa
N
N
Andelman
D
D
D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D021962:Membrane Microdomains / Q000737:chemistry; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008956:Models, Chemical; D044367:Phase Transition; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000737:chemistry; D013109:Sphingomyelins / Q000737:chemistry; D013500:Surface Tension
D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D013109:Sphingomyelins; C017251:1,2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine