Experimental Estimation of Membrane Tension Induced by Osmotic Pressure.

ABSTRACT: Osmotic pressure (Π) induces the stretching of plasma membranes of cells or lipid membranes of vesicles, which plays various roles in physiological functions. However, there have been no experimental estimations of the membrane tension of vesicles upon exposure to Π. In this report, we estimated experimentally the lateral tension of the membranes of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) when they were transferred into a hypotonic solution. First, we investigated the effect of Π on the rate constant, k_p, of constant-tension (σ_ex)-induced rupture of dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC)-GUVs using the method developed by us recently. We obtained the σ_ex dependence of k_p in GUVs under Π and by comparing this result with that in the absence of Π, we estimat

SUBMITTER: Alam Shibly SU 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5112947 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature