A time-resolved study on the interaction of oppositely charged bicelles--implications on the charged lipid exchange kinetics.

Time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering was applied to study charged lipid exchange between oppositely charged disc-shaped bicelles. The exchange of charged lipids gradually reduces the surface charge density and weakens the electrostatic attraction between the oppositely charged bicelles which form alternately stacked aggregates upon mixing. Initially, at a high surface charge density with almost no free water layer between the stacked bicelles, fast exchange kinetics dominate the exchange process. At a later stage with a lower surface charge density and a larger water gap between the stacked bicelles, slow exchange kinetics take over. The fast exchange kinetics are correlated with the close contact of the bicelles when there is almost no free water layer between the tightly bound bicelles with a charged lipid exchange time constant as short as 20-40 min. When the water gap becomes large enough to have a free water layer between the stacked bicelles, the fast lipid exchange kinetics are taken over by slow lipid exchange kinetics with time constants around 200-300 min, which are comparable to the typical time constant of lipid exchange between vesicles in aqueous solution. These two kinds of exchange mode fit well with the lipid exchange models of transient hemifusion for the fast mode and monomer exchange for the slow mode.