title: Interactions of surfactants with lipid membranes.
abstract: Surfactants are surface-active, amphiphilic compounds that are water-soluble in the micro- to millimolar range, and self-assemble to form micelles or other aggregates above a critical concentration. This definition comprises synthetic detergents as well as amphiphilic peptides and lipopeptides, bile salts and many other compounds. This paper reviews the biophysics of the interactions of surfactants with membranes of insoluble, naturally occurring lipids. It discusses structural, thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of membrane-water partitioning, changes in membrane properties induced by surfactants, membrane solubilisation to micelles and other phases formed by lipid-surfactant systems. Each section defines and derives key parameters, mentions experimental methods for their measurement and compiles and discusses published data. Additionally, a brief overview is given of surfactant-like effects in biological systems, technical applications of surfactants that involve membrane interactions, and surfactant-based protocols to study biological membranes.
authors.affiliation: Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3M2. heiko.heerklotz@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Heiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Heerklotz
mesh_terms: D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D003902:Detergents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D008823:Micelles; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010539:Permeability; D044367:Phase Transition / Q000187:drug effects; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000737:chemistry; D012995:Solubility; D055672:Static Electricity; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D003902:Detergents; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008823:Micelles; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D014867:Water; C028694:1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine