Center for Nonlinear Phenomena and Complex Systems, Department of Physics, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Boulevard du Triomphe CP231, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
Experimental Soft Matter and Thermal Physics (EST) group, Department of Physics, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Boulevard du Triomphe CP223, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
J Colloid Interface Sci. 2023 Dec 15;652(Pt B):1381-1393. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.08.059. Epub 2023 Aug 21.
Spontaneous lipid vesiculation and related size distribution are traditionally studied in the framework of equilibrium thermodynamics and continuum mechanics, overlooking the kinetic aspects of the process. In the scenario of liposomes consisting of different lipid molecules dispersed in the same medium - a non-equilibrium situation -, the system evolves driven by lipid monomer transfer among the different liposomes. This process encompasses time-dependent changes in liposome size and size distribution, thus predicting size and composition at a given time would entail the control of the size of liposomes by kinetic means, an asset in the framework of diagnostics and synthetic biology. We introduce a direct transfer model, based on the fact that monomers are highly reactive species and apply it to saturated phospholipid molecules differing in hydrophobic chain length. Considering a well-defined gamma-type liposome size distribution, we demonstrate a clear liposome size-composition correlation and are able to predict liposome size and size distribution at any time in the transfer process. The size-composition correlation opens up new prospects for the control of the self-assembling properties of lipids and thereby the control of the liposome size.
自发脂质囊泡化及其相关的尺寸分布传统上是在平衡热力学和连续介质力学的框架内进行研究的，忽略了该过程的动力学方面。在由不同脂质分子分散在相同介质中的脂质体的情况下 - 一种非平衡情况 - 系统由脂质单体在不同脂质体之间的转移驱动。该过程包含脂质体尺寸和尺寸分布的时变变化，因此预测给定时间的尺寸和组成将需要通过动力学手段控制脂质体的尺寸，这在诊断和合成生物学框架内是一项优势。我们引入了一种直接转移模型，基于单体是高反应性物质的事实，并将其应用于疏水性链长不同的饱和磷脂分子。考虑到明确的γ型脂质体尺寸分布，我们证明了脂质体尺寸-组成之间存在明显的相关性，并能够在转移过程中的任何时间预测脂质体的尺寸和尺寸分布。这种尺寸-组成相关性为控制脂质的自组装特性以及脂质体的尺寸控制开辟了新的前景。
