| Issue |
Europhys. Lett.
Volume 45, Number 1, January I 1999
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Page(s) | 90 - 96 | |
| Section | Interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1209/epl/i1999-00136-9 | |
| Published online | 01 September 2002 | |
Thermotropic structural changes of saturated-cationic-lipid–DNA complexes
1
Institut für Biophysik (E22), Physik Department, Technische
Universität München, James Franck Straße 1, D-85747 Garching, Germany
2
European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL c/o DESY, Notkestr. 85,
D-22603 Hamburg,
Germany
Received:
25
May
1998
Accepted:
30
October
1998
We investigated the thermotropic behavior of fully hydrated saturated
cationic lipid mixture of DMPC/DMTAP
(dimyristoylphosphatidyl-choline/dimyristoyl-trimethyl-am monium
propane) complexed with DNA. Using simultaneous small- and
wide-angle X-ray scattering, we found two condensed lamellar phases, a
fluid 
- and a gel-state 
-phase. The
chain-melting transition was accompanied by a decrease in the bilayer
thickness and an expansion of the intercalated one-dimensional DNA rod
lattice. The interaxial DNA-DNA spacings are quantitatively described
by conservation of local volume fractions for both phases in
excess water. The line broadening of the wide-angle scattering
exhibited a systematic variation in the hydrocarbon chain tilt as a
function of the cationic lipid molar fraction.
PACS: 87.15.By – Structure, bonding, conformation, configuration, and isomerism of bio mole cules / 61.30.Eb – Experimental determinations of smectic, nematic, cholesteric, and other structures / 82.70.Kj – Emulsions and suspensions
© EDP Sciences, 1999
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