Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Vol.112, No.47, 14678-14681, 2008
Construction of Asymmetric Cell-Sized Lipid Vesicles from Lipid-Coated Water-in-Oil Microdroplets
We present a simple, rapid, and robust method for preparing asymmetric cell-sized lipid bilayer vesicles using water-in-oil (W/O) microdroplets transferred through an oil-water interface. The efficiency for producing cell-sized model membranes is elucidated in relation to the vesicular size and the weight of contained water-soluble molecules. We demonstrate the biological asymmetric nature and the formation of lipid raft microdomain structures using fluorescence microscopy.