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Changes in the morphology of cell-size liposomes in the presence of cholesterol: Formation of neuron-like tubes and liposome networks |
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| Authors: | Shin-ichiro M Nomura Yumi Mizutani Akihiko Watanabe |
| Institution: | a Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 2-3-10 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0062, Japan b Center of Excellence Program for Frontier Research on Molecular Destruction and Reconstruction of Tooth and Bone, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 2-3-10 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0062, Japan c College of Science and Technology, Nihon University, 1-8-14 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8308, Japan |
| Abstract: | Spontaneous changes in the morphology of cell-size liposomes (dioleoylphosphatidylcholine, DOPC and egg PC) as model cells were investigated in the presence of cholesterol. Tube structures and liposome networks connected by the tubes were observed in the presence of 5-30% cholesterol by dark-field and laser-scanning microscopy. Furthermore, in the presence of more than 40 mol% of cholesterol, the tubes disappeared and changed to small liposomes. Thus, cholesterol induced a morphological change in giant liposomes from tubes to small liposomes. These phenomena may be related to the role of cholesterol in the morphological changes in living cells such as neurons. |
| Keywords: | Giant liposome Cholesterol Lipid bilayer Tubular network Neuron |
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