Destabilisation of lamellar dispersion of thylakoid membrane lipids by sucrose

Employing negative-staining electron microscopy, convincing evidence has been obtained for the destabilisation of multilamellar organisation of aqueous dispersions of chloroplast thylakoid membrane lipids, to an inverted micellar structure under the influence of sucrose solution. The present study provides a new insight into the phase behaviour of a naturally existing galactolipid-rich lipid mixture consequent to interaction with a kosmotropic reagent.