Structural Perturbations of Phospholipid Bilayers Induced by the Neutral Detergent Octyl Glucoside

Abstract

The morphological consequences of the incorporation of neutral detergents into liposomal bilayers at sublytic concentrations (formation of mixed bilayers) are studied by freeze-fracture with and without the use of cryoprotectant.

In addition to an increase in vesicle size, and a local increase in bilayer curvature (“humpbacked'’ liposomes), the formation of detergent-stabilized pores and membrane “sheets'’ was seen with uni- and multilamellar vesicles.