Monolayers at the oil/water interface as a proper model for bilayer membranes

Abstract

In order to clarify the structural relationship between lipid monolayer and bilayer membranes, physical states of these membranes are discussed from their energetic points of view. It is concluded that the monolayer formed at the oil/water interface is a proper model system to represent the physical state of half of a bilayer in its liquid crystalline state. The theoretical prediction is confirmed by the monolayer surface tension measurements and the bilayer conductance experiments with water soluble (extrinsic) proteins. It is also deduced that the surface pressure of the bilayer in the liquid crystalline state is quite high, about 45 dyn/cm, and the interaction of cytochrome c with the bilayer is mainly electrostatic at the bilayer membrane periphery.