Formation of Supported Lipid Bilayers by Vesicle Fusion: Effect of Deposition Temperature

• Published in: Langmuir Vol. 30; no. 25; pp. 7259 - 7263
• Main Authors: Lind, Tania Kjellerup, Cárdenas, Marité, Wacklin, Hanna Pauliina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 01.07.2014
• Subjects: atomic force microscopy; cooling; Fysik; lipid bilayers; Lipid Bilayers - chemistry; lipids; melting point; Natural Sciences; Naturvetenskap; neutrons; phase transition; Physical Sciences; quartz crystal microbalance; Temperature
• ISSN: 0743-7463; 1520-5827; 1520-5827
• DOI: 10.1021/la500897x

We have investigated the effect of deposition temperature on supported lipid bilayer formation via vesicle fusion. By using several complementary surface-sensitive techniques, we demonstrate that despite contradicting literature on the subject, high-quality bilayers can be formed below the main phase-transition temperature of the lipid. We have carefully studied the formation mechanism of supported DPPC bilayers below and above the lipid melting temperature (T m) by quartz crystal microbalance and atomic force microscopy under continuous flow conditions. We also measured the structure of lipid bilayers formed below or above T m by neutron reflection and investigated the effect of subsequent cooling to below the T m. Our results clearly show that a continuous supported bilayer can be formed with high surface coverage below the lipid T m. We also demonstrate that the high dissipation responses observed during the deposition process by QCM-D correspond to vesicles absorbed on top of a continuous bilayer and not to a surface-supported vesicular layer as previously reported.