The solubilization
of lipid membranes by Tween-20 is crucial for
a number of biotechnological applications, but the mechanistic details
remain elusive. Evidence from ensemble assays supports a solubilization
model that encompasses surfactant association with the membrane and
the release of mixed micelles to solution, but whether this process
also involves intermediate transitions between regimes is unanswered.
In search of mechanistic origins, increasing focus is placed on identifying
Tween-20 interactions with controllable membrane mimetics. Here, we
employed ultrasensitive biosensing approaches, including single-vesicle
spectroscopy based on fluorescence and energy transfer from membrane-encapsulated
molecules, to interrogate interactions between Tween-20 and submicrometer-sized
vesicles below the optical diffraction limit. We discovered that Tween-20,
even at concentrations below the critical micellar concentration,
triggers stepwise and phase-dependent structural remodeling events,
including permeabilization and swelling, in both freely diffusing
and surface-tethered vesicles, highlighting the substantial impact
the surfactant has on vesicle conformation and stability prior to
lysis.