Effect of hydration on the structure of oriented lipid membranes investigated by in situ time-resolved energy dispersive x-ray diffraction

Abstract

In situ time-resolved energy dispersive x-ray diffraction (EDXD) was applied to investigate the effect of hydration on the structure of 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP)-oriented membranes. The measurements allowed a very high density time sampling of the evolution of the structural properties of the DOTAP bilayer such as the lamellar d-spacing, the membrane thickness, and the size of the interbilayer water region. Time-resolved EDXD has been found to provide important information on the role played by free water molecules on the structure and fluidity of lipid bilayer.