title: Buffers affect the bending rigidity of model lipid membranes.
abstract: In biophysical and biochemical studies of lipid bilayers the influence of the used buffer is often ignored or assumed to be negligible on membrane structure, elasticity, or physical properties. However, we here present experimental evidence, through bending rigidity measurements performed on giant vesicles, of a more complex behavior, where the buffering molecules may considerably affect the bending rigidity of phosphatidylcholine bilayers. Furthermore, a synergistic effect on the bending modulus is observed in the presence of both salt and buffer molecules, which serves as a warning to experimentalists in the data interpretation of their studies, since typical lipid bilayer studies contain buffer and ion molecules.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, MEMPHYS-Center for Biomembrane Physics, University of Southern Denmark , Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark.
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bouvrais
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Duelund
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ipsen
mesh_terms: D002021:Buffers; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002021:Buffers; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines