Macroscopic and Nanoscopic Heterogeneous Structures in a Three-Component Lipid Bilayer Mixtures Determined by Atomic Force Microscopy

Langmuir. 2015 Nov 17;31(45):12417-25. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.5b02863. Epub 2015 Nov 3.

Abstract

Much of lipid raft properties can be inferred from phase behavior of multicomponent lipid membranes. We use liquid compatible atomic force microscopy (AFM) to study a three-component system composed of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC), egg sphingomyelin (eSM), and cholesterol. Specifically, we obtain macroscopic and nanoscopic heterogeneous structures in a broad compositional space of DOPC/eSM/cholesterol (23 °C). In the macroscopic liquid coexisting region, we quantify area fraction of the coexisting phases and determine a set of thermodynamic tie-lines. When lipid compositions are near the critical point, we obtain fluctuation-like nanoscopic structures. We also use AFM height images to explore the hypothetical three-phase coexisting region. Finally, we use fluorescence microscopy to compare the phase behavior from our AFM measurements to that in free-floating giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs). Our results highlight the role of lipid composition in mediating lipid domain formation and stability.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cholesterol / chemistry*
  • Lipid Bilayers / chemistry*
  • Membrane Microdomains / chemistry
  • Microscopy, Atomic Force
  • Phase Transition
  • Phosphatidylcholines / chemistry*
  • Sphingomyelins / chemistry*
  • Thermodynamics
  • Unilamellar Liposomes / chemistry*

Substances

  • Lipid Bilayers
  • Phosphatidylcholines
  • Sphingomyelins
  • Unilamellar Liposomes
  • Cholesterol
  • 1,2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine