Fusion of phosphatidylcholine bilayer vesicles: role of free fatty acid
- 22 August 1978
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Chemical Society (ACS) in Biochemistry
- Vol. 17 (17) , 3592-3597
- https://doi.org/10.1021/bi00610a027
Abstract
The transformation of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles containing myristic acid to larger structures was examined by NMR techniques. The process was characterized by a rate which is approximately first order in vesicle concentration. Rates, however, show a dramatic increase with increasing myristic acid content. The fatty acid is characterized as being active under conditions in which it is neutral and dispersed in the bulk bilayer phase. A 1:1 correlation was noted between leakage of contents and vesicle transfromation. On the basis of these observations a mechanism is postulated involving stabilization of leaks in bilayer membranes by myristic acid and the resultant formation of activated sites for vesicle transformation. The relation to fusion in natural systems is disucssed.This publication has 10 references indexed in Scilit:
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