Artificial phospholipid and glycolipid particles, visualization of their structures by fluorescence markers and some...

Homogeneous large (5--30 micrometer) lipid particles comparable in size and shape to blood cells can be obtained when excess of cholesterol is homogenized with egg phospholipids or brain glycolipids in a Dounce apparatus. The particles contain distinct structures of membranes and lipid cores as visualized by the included fluorescence markers. When these particles were used as models in studying interactions between membranes, it was demonstrated that several properties normally pertaining to natural membranes could be exhibited by lipids alone. It could also be shown that particles containing phospholipids or glycolipids were very different in their adhesiveness to tissue culture cells and in their response to sera of various species.