Recurrent dynamics of rupture transitions of giant lipid vesicles at solid surfaces

Abstract

Single giant vesicles (GVs) rupture spontaneously from their salt-laden suspension onto solid surfaces. At hydrophilic surfaces, they rupture via a recurrent burst-heal dynamics: during burst, single pores nucleate at the contact boundary of the adhering vesicles facilitating asymmetric spreading and producing a "heart" shaped membrane patch. During the healing phase, the competing pore closure produces a daughter vesicle.At hydrophobic surfaces, by contrast, the GVs rupture via a distinctly different, yet recurrent, bouncing ball rhythm: Rendered tense by the substrate interactions, GVs porate and spread monomolecular layer on the hydrophobic surface in a symmetric manner. Here too, the competition from pore closure produces a daughter vesicle, which re-engages with the substrate. In both cases, the pattern of burst-reseal events repeats multiple times splashing and spreading the vesicular fragments as bilayer patches at the solid surface in a pulsatory manner. These remarkable recurrent dynamics arise not because of the elastic properties of the solid surface but because the competition between membrane spreading and pore healing, prompted by the surface-energy dependent adhesion, determine the course of the topological transition. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCEGiant lipid vesicles adhering to a solid surface experience strong mechanical stresses. The contacting membrane segment loses thermal fluctuations and accumulates mechanical tension, the equilibration of which can give rise to global shape changes, lipid phase separation, and traction forces. Beyond a threshold tension, vesicles porate, unravel, and spread. Here, we find that a competition from pore-healing can make rupture iterative, rather than a single all-or-nothing event. During burst, single pores expand, spreading a lipid bilayer on the hydrophilic surface and a monolayer on the hydrophobic one. During heal, pore-healing can produce daughter vesicles. This burst-reseal event reiterates "splashing" portions of single vesicles at the solid surface and "bouncing" the remainder as a secondary vesicle in multiple steps..

Recent developments in the kinetics of ruptures of giant vesicles under constant tension

“…Later, the rupture dynamics of GUVs caused by interaction with hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces on a glass substrate were investigated. 99 For the hydrophobic surface, a pore was first initiated and then closed by expelling internal fluid, which resulted in a smaller vesicle than the original one. The lipid molecules of the inner and outer monolayer exchanged positions in the smaller vesicle, leaving a lipid monolayer on the hydrophobic surface.…”

Interaction of Lipopolysaccharide-Spiked Blood with Anti-Fouling Polymyxin B-Modified Glass

“…This mechanism stands in contrast to indications in the literature that outright LPS capture occurs [45]. Both theoretical and experimental research has confirmed that the disintegration of micelles and vesicles is possible at the solid-liquid interface and that there is a dependence on the free energy properties of the solid surface under study [46][47][48]. It would clearly be anticipated, in this case, that the presence of PMB would enhance this process.…”

Comparative Study of Lipid- and Polymer-Supported Membranes Obtained by Vesicle Fusion

“…The fusion of lipid vesicles has been explored in detail for a range of substrates. 22 , 23 , 41 − 43 We find that while the fusion of PGUVs proceeds in a similar fashion, there are some important differences. LGUVs fused instantaneously on hydrophilic glass and PDMS substrates using iso-osmotic buffer.…”

“…Polymer GUVs appear to fuse onto glass and PDMS substrates via a single-burst event, in contrast to lipid GUVs, which often fuse in a cascade fashion 43 ( Figure S1 , Supporting Videos S1 and S2 ). This results in large polymer patches of distinct heart or circular shapes, with a low density of remaining daughter vesicles or other visible defects ( Figure 1 ).…”