Bilayer edges catalyze supported lipid bilayer formation.

ABSTRACT: Supported lipid bilayers (SLB) are important for the study of membrane-based phenomena and as coatings for biosensors. Nevertheless, there is a fundamental lack of understanding of the process by which they form from vesicles in solution. We report insights into the mechanism of SLB formation by vesicle adsorption using temperature-controlled time-resolved fluorescence microscopy at low vesicle concentrations. First, lipid accumulates on the surface at a constant rate up to approximately 0.8 of SLB coverage. Then, as patches of SLB nucleate and spread, the rate of accumulation increases. At a coverage of approximately 1.5 x SLB, excess vesicles desorb as SLB patches rapidly coalesce into a continuous SLB. Variable surface fluorescence immediately before SLB patch formation argues against t

SUBMITTER: Weirich KL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2800963 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature