Exchange and aggregation in dispersions of dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine vesicles containing myristic acid.

Processes occurring in dispersions of dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine containing myristic acid have been studied by light scattering of dilute dispersions (concn. less than or equal to 1 mg/ml) at temperatures above and below the phase transition temperatures of these dispersions. The transition temperatures increase with increasing mol fraction of myristic acid. Above these temperatures, vesicles with different mol fractions of myristic acid exchange lipid molecules. The exchange process leads to vesicles having phase transition temperatures and radii, which ar both intermediate between the initial transitions and radii, respectively. In contrast with the observations above the phase transitions, it was found that when dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine/myristic acid vesicles were cooled to a few degrees below the phase transition, larger particles were formed. These observations are consistent with a mechanism consisting of vesicle aggregation followed by fustion of the aggregated vesicles. The aggregation process is of second order in the vesicle concentration, and its rate increases with increasing mol fraction of myristic acid.