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Phase equilibria in DOPC/DPPC: Conversion from gel to subgel in two component mixtures
Miranda L Schmidt1, Latifa Ziani, Michelle Boudreau
1Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada.
The Journal of Chemical Physics
|November 10, 2009
Summary
This study investigates the phase behavior of phospholipid mixtures, specifically 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) and 1,2-di-d(31)-palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC). Below 16°C, the gel phase transforms into a subgel phase, indicating a metastable state and a three-phase coexistence line.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Materials Science
- Physical Chemistry
Background:
- Biological membranes are complex lipid mixtures influencing cellular functions.
- Lipid phase behavior, particularly with cholesterol, is crucial for understanding membrane properties.
- Binary lipid mixtures provide foundational data for complex ternary system analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the phase behavior of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) and 1,2-di-d(31)-palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) mixtures.
- To investigate the appearance and transformation of the subgel phase below 16°C.
- To analyze the kinetics of gel to subgel phase transformation.
Main Methods:
- Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to study phase transitions.
- Spectroscopic analysis to monitor spectral changes during phase transformations.
- Nucleation and growth modeling to understand domain evolution.
Main Results:
- The gel phase is metastable below 16°C, slowly transforming into a subgel phase.
- A three-phase coexistence line is observed near 16°C.
- Subgel domain growth occurs as a two-dimensional process.
Conclusions:
- The metastable gel phase transforms into a subgel phase with altered composition.
- The observed three-phase coexistence line is a result of this slow transformation.
- Understanding these binary lipid phase behaviors is essential for interpreting ternary lipid-cholesterol mixtures.
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