Effect of chain length of hybrid lipids on line tension in phase-separated giant unilamellar vesicles
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Abstract
Hybrid lipids (HL) are phospholipids with one saturated and one unsaturated chain and they are abundant in cell membranes. HLs are hypothesized to act as linactants and reducing line tension in cell membranes. Here we compare two hybrid lipids of different chain length in their abilities to alter line tension of lipid domains. We found that in both PAPC/DSPC/Cholesterol and SAPC/DSPC/Cholesterol mixtures, the liquid-ordered (l o ) and liquid-disordered (l d ) lipid domains are micron-sized. Our line tension measurement indicates that hybrid lipids can reduce line tension through reducing physical property differences of domains. Although in both mixtures line tension is reduced compared to a mixture without hybrid lipid, in the SAPC/DSPC/Chol mixture it is reduced more, indicating chain length plays a role in line tension reduction.