Physical properties of Escherichia coli spheroplast membranes.

ABSTRACT: We investigated the physical properties of bacterial cytoplasmic membranes by applying the method of micropipette aspiration to Escherichia coli spheroplasts. We found that the properties of spheroplast membranes are significantly different from that of laboratory-prepared lipid vesicles or that of previously investigated animal cells. The spheroplasts can adjust their internal osmolality by increasing their volumes more than three times upon osmotic downshift. Until the spheroplasts are swollen to their volume limit, their membranes are tensionless. At constant external osmolality, aspiration increases the surface area of the membrane and creates tension. What distinguishes spheroplast membranes from lipid bilayers is that the area change of a spheroplast membrane by tension is a relaxati

SUBMITTER: Sun Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4223228 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature