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Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Assembly of Cell Mimicking Supported and Suspended Lipid Bilayer Models for the Study of Molecular Interactions
Published on: August 3, 2021
Effect of osmotic gradient on the physical properties of membrane lipids in liposomes
Abstract:
Osmotic swelling of multilamellar liposomes was shown to produce structural changes in liposomal membranes. Creation of transmembrane osmotic gradients results in an increased lateral mobility of membrane incorporated hydrophobic probe, pyrene. This is accompanied by some decrease in order parameter of membrane phospholipid polar head group regions. The perturbations are more marked in hydrophobic than in polar regions of the membranes. It is suggested that some functional changes in biomembranes arising upon osmotic swelling may be associated with structural alterations similar to those observed in liposomes.
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