ESR METHOD FOR DETERMINING TIE-LINES IN COEXISTING MEMBRANE PHASES

本子项目是利用由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源的众多研究子项目之一。子项目和研究者（PI）可能已经从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金，因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。列出的机构是中心的，不一定是研究者的机构。当不同组成域共存时，脂质双分子层组分的非随机混合是相关的。特别是所谓的脂筏似乎在细胞膜的功能中起着重要的作用，如信号传导、蛋白质运输、内吞和粘附。细胞膜筏形成的一个方面是脂质是否实际侧向分离成共存的液相，即液有序（Lo）相和液无序（La）相。囊泡中共存的脂质双分子层相的检测已经通过多种方法完成。然而，共存相的组成是非常难以确定的。共存相的完整描述包括它们各自的组成，由热力学系线提供。荧光显微镜使共存的脂相在巨大的单层相可视化，但组成信息是缺失的。ESR有能力提供这样的信息。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Non-random mixing of lipid bilayer components is relevant when domains of different composition coexist. In particular, so-called lipid rafts seem to play important roles in functions of cell membranes such as signaling, protein transport, endocytosis and adhesion. One aspect of raft formation in cell membranes is whether there is actual lateral separation of lipids into coexisting liquid phases, i.e., liquid-ordered (Lo) and liquid-disordered (La) phases. Detection of coexisting lipid bilayer phases in vesicles has been accomplished by a variety of methods. However, the compositions of the coexisting phases have been exceedingly difficult to determine. A full description of coexisting phases includes their respective compositions, which are provided by the thermodynamic tie-lines. Fluorescence microscopy enables visualization of coexisting lipid phases in giant unilamellar phases, but the composition information is missing. ESR is capable of supplying such information.