Giant phospholipid vesicles: comparison among the whole lipid sample characteristics using different preparation methods: a two photon fluorescence microscopy study.

LUIS A. BAGATOLLI; T. PARASASSI; E. GRATTON

CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS OF LIPIDS

ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2000 vol. 105 p. 135 - 135

0009-3084

everal methods for the preparation of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) using synthetic phosphatidylcholine phospholipids were evaluated. We compared the physical characteristics--in terms of lamellarity and morphology--of the whole lipid sample for each different lipid preparation using the sectioning capability of the two-photon excitation fluorescence microscope. From the evaluation of the entire lipid sample we determined that vesicle size, internal shape and shell thickness distributions depend on the vesicle's preparation method. Our results show that the preparation of giant unilamellar vesicles by the application of external electric fields offers several advantages among the other methods tested here. Using this method a high yield (approximately 95%) of giant unilamellar vesicles with a narrow size distribution was obtained. Independently of the preparation method, some lipid structures, which are held together by lipid tethers, were identified and resolved. These particular