Abstract
This unit describes protocols for making giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) based on rehydration of dried lipid films. These model membranes are useful for determining the impact of membrane and membrane-binding components on lipid bilayer stiffness and phase behavior. Due to their large size, they are especially amenable to studies using fluorescence and light microscopy, and may also be manipulated for mechanical measurements with optical traps or micropipets. In addition to their use in encapsulation, GUVs have proven to be useful model systems for studying many cellular processes, including tubulation, budding, and fusion, as well as peptide insertion. The introduction of enzymes or proteins can result in reorganization, leading to such diverse behavior as vesicle aggregation, fusion, and fission.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.