Phase separation of miscible phospholipids by sonication of bilayer vesicles

Sonication of phospholipid vesicles may result, according to their liquid or solid crystal state, in the generation of unilamellar vesicles or structural defects within their bilayers, respectively. The transition temperature Tm of the phospholipid bilayer is usually the threshold temperature delineating the physical effects of ultrasound. However, for vesicles made from a mixture of two miscible phospholipids, this threshold temperature was not found to be the intermediate Tm of the phospholipid mixture bilayers, but the Tm of the lowest melting component. This was due to a simultaneous lateral phase separation of the two phospholipids induced by the sonication as demonstrated by differential scanning calorimetry analysis.