Supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) are model biological membranes composed of two layers of lipid molecules stacked on a horizontal surface. SLBs are used to analyze the role and interactions between different membrane bound biomolecules. SLBs are formed when a surface is exposed to a solution of phospholipid vesicles. The exact mechanism by which SLBs form is unknown and there have been few studies that have specifically examined the kinetics of SLB formation and how the concentration of lipids in solution affects the rate of formation of SLBs. Here we report on an investigation using a Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) into the kinetics of the adsorption of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) vesicles to a silicon dioxide surface (SiO2). To focus on the kinetics of the adsorption of DOPC vesicles these experiments were run at an elevated pH of 9.5 where it is known that no vesicle rupture occurs. Experiments were run at different DOPC concentrations and the lipid concentration in the samples was verified using a standard phosphorous assay. Our results show that the number of vesicles adsorbed to the SiO2 surface depends on the concentration of lipids in solution, providing strong evidence for the establishment of an equilibrium between adsorbed and free vesicles. The experimental data have been fitted to a series of different adsorption isotherms to determine the rate constants for the adsorption and desorption of DOPC vesicles from an SiO2 surface.

Kinetic analysis of supported lipid bilayer (SLB) formation through variation in lipid concentration

255th National Meeting (2018)

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