Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Liposomes from ionic, single-chain amphiphiles

W R Hargreaves, D W Deamer

    Biochemistry
    |September 5, 1978
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Researchers created liposomes from single-chain amphiphiles, finding that uncharged molecules aid membrane formation. These lipid vesicles, studied for biomembrane models and drug delivery, offer insights into early life origins.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Chemical evolution of amphiphiles: glycerol monoacyl derivatives stabilize plausible prebiotic membranes.

    Astrobiology·2010
    Same author

    Loss-based optical trap for on-chip particle analysis.

    Lab on a chip·2009
    Same author

    Ultrasensitive Qbeta phage analysis using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy on an optofluidic chip.

    Biosensors & bioelectronics·2009
    Same author

    Eutectic phases in ice facilitate nonenzymatic nucleic acid synthesis.

    Astrobiology·2002
    Same author

    The lipid world.

    Origins of life and evolution of the biosphere : the journal of the International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life·2001
    Same author

    Nutrient uptake by protocells: a liposome model system.

    Origins of life and evolution of the biosphere : the journal of the International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life·2001

    Area of Science:

    • Biochemistry
    • Materials Science
    • Origin of Life Studies

    Background:

    • Lipid membranes are fundamental to cellular life.
    • Understanding minimal requirements for membrane formation is key to origins of life research.
    • Single-chain amphiphiles offer a simpler model system for studying membrane physics.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the minimum physicochemical requirements for forming lipid membranes.
    • To characterize vesicles formed from single-chain amphiphiles.
    • To explore the potential applications of these liposomes.

    Main Methods:

    • Formation of liposomes from dilute aqueous dispersions of C(8)-C(18) single-chain amphiphiles.
    • Characterization using phase-contrast microscopy, ionic dye trapping, negative-stain, and freeze-fracture electron microscopy.

    Related Experiment Videos

  • Permeability studies using phase-contrast microscopy and spectrophotometry.

    • Main Results:

    • Membrane formation from ionic soaps/detergents generally requires uncharged amphiphiles.
    • Vesicles were heterogeneous in size (1-100 micrometers) and structure (uni-, oligo-, multilamellar).
    • A novel phase-contrast microscopy technique effectively determined membrane permeability to various solutes.

    Conclusions:

    • Monoalkyl liposomes can be formed from single-chain amphiphiles under specific conditions.
    • These liposomes serve as valuable models for biomembranes and have potential in drug delivery.
    • The study provides insights into the prebiotic formation of lipid structures relevant to early life.