title: Self-Assembly of Bilayer Vesicles Made of Saturated Long Chain Fatty Acids.
abstract: Saturated long chain fatty acids (sLCFA, e.g., C14:0, C16:0, and C18:0) are potentially the greenest and cheapest surfactants naturally available. However, because aqueous sodium soaps of sLCFA are known to crystallize, the self-assembly of stable bilayer vesicles has not been reported yet. Here, by using such soaps in combination with guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl), which has been shown recently to prevent crystallization, we were capable of producing stable bilayer vesicles made of sLCFA. The phase diagrams were established for a variety of systems showing that vesicles can form in a broad range of composition and pH. Both solid state NMR and small-angle neutron scattering allowed demonstrating that in such vesicles sLCFA are arranged in a bilayer structure which exhibits similar dynamic and structural properties as those of phospholipid membranes. We expect these vesicles to be of interest as model systems of protocells and minimal cells but also for various applications since fatty acids are potentially substitutes to phospholipids, synthetic surfactants, and polymers.
authors.affiliation: UMR 1332, biologie et pathologie du fruit, INRA , centre de Bordeaux, 33883 Villenave d'Ornon, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Douliez
authors.affiliation: UR 1268 Biopolymères Interactions et Assemblages, INRA , rue de la Géraudière, 44316 Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Bérénice Houinsou
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Houssou
authors.affiliation: UR 1268 Biopolymères Interactions et Assemblages, INRA , rue de la Géraudière, 44316 Nantes, France.
authors.forename: A-Laure
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Fameau
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Navailles
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nallet
authors.forename: Axelle
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grélard
authors.forename: Erick J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Dufourc
authors.affiliation: UR 1268 Biopolymères Interactions et Assemblages, INRA , rue de la Géraudière, 44316 Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Cédric
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gaillard
mesh_terms: D058045:Artificial Cells / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D019791:Guanidine / Q000737:chemistry; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D044367:Phase Transition
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D019791:Guanidine