Physicochemical characterization of large unilamellar phospholipid vesicles prepared by reverse-phase evaporation

ORCiD

Nejat Düzgüneş: 0000-0001-6159-1391

Department

Biomedical Sciences

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Biomembranes

ISSN

0005-2736

Volume

732

Issue

1

DOI

10.1016/0005-2736(83)90214-6

First Page

289

Last Page

299

Publication Date

7-13-1983

Abstract

Properties of large unilamellar vesicles (LUV), composed of phosphatidylcholine and prepared by reverse-phase evaporation and subsequent extrusion through Unipore polycarbonate membranes, have been investigated and compared with those of small unilamellar vesicles (SUV) and of multilamellar vesicles (MLV). The unilamellar nature of the LUV is shown by 1H-NMR using Pr3+ as a shift reagent. The gel to liquid-crystalline phase transition of LUV composed of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) monitored by differential scanning calorimetry, fluorescence polarization of diphenylhexatriene and 90° light scattering, occurs at a slightly lower temperature (40.8°C) than that of MLV (42°C) and is broadened by about 50%. The phase transition of SUV is shifted to considerably lower temperatures (mid-point, 38°C) and extends over a wide temperature range. In LUV a well-defined pretransition is not observed. The permeability of LUV (DPPC) monitored by leakage of carboxyfluorescein, increases sharply at the phase transition temperature, and the extent of release is greater than that from MLV. Leakage from SUV occurs in a wide temperature range. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy of LUV (DPPC) reveals vesicles of 0.1-0.2 μm diameter with mostly smooth fracture faces. At temperatures below the phase transition, the larger vesicles in the population have angled faces, as do extruded MLV. A banded pattern, seen in MLV at temperatures between the pretransition and the main transition, is not observed in the smaller LUV, although the larger vesicles reveal a dimpled appearance. © 1983.

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS