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Biophysical Journal 71: 1208-1214 (1996)
© 1996 the Biophysical Society

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Spontaneous vesicle formation at lipid bilayer membranes.

D A Edwards, F Schneck, I Zhang, A M Davis, H Chen and R Langer

Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802, USA.

ABSTRACT

Unilamellar vesicles are observed to form spontaneously at planar lipid bilayers agitated by exothermic chemical reactions. The membrane-binding reaction between biotin and streptavidin, two strong transmembrane neutralization reactions, and a weak neutralization reaction involving an "antacid" buffer, all lead to spontaneous vesicle formation. This formation is most dramatic when a viscosity differential exists between the two phases bounding the membrane, in which case vesicles appear exclusively in the more viscous phase. A hydrodynamic analysis explains the phenomenon in terms of a membrane flow driven by liberated reaction energy, leading to vesicle formation. These results suggest that energy liberated by intra- and extracellular chemical reactions near or at cell and internal organelle membranes can play an important role in vesicle formation, membrane agitation, or enhanced transmembrane mass transfer.






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Copyright © 1996 by the Biophysical Society.