The Entrapped Water Volume

7 Polymerization in Vesicle Membranes and Interactions with Polymers 

Biomembranes contain up to 50% of membrane proteins . Their chains usually fold to form regular groups of a-helices in the part of the protein which traverses the hydrophobic core of the bilayer. The helices are often covalently 

Fuhrhop, H. Tank, Chem. Phys. Lipids, 1987, 43, 193 B. Henne, Dissertation Freie Universitat Berlin, 1992 

What happens if the lipid molecules of an artificial membrane themselves contain polymerizable groups and are polymerized after a vesicle membrane has been formed from the monomers Will the polymerization chain reaction run through the whole of a monolayer and will the polymer retain the vesicle structure Or will parallel ordered clusters be formed and will the vesicle be ruptured The answers to most of these questions are frustrating domains do 

The best vesicle stabilization effect was obtained by polymerization of buta-diyne units within the hydrocarbon chains of amphiphiles after the vesicle was formed. This polymerization produces red or blue polyenes and occurs only if the vesicle membrane is in the liquid crystalline state. No polymers formed 

---

Figure 2.5.10 Typical dissolution pattern in the different regions of vesicle membranes the entrapped water volume 9 may contain an ionic dye, which can be separated from dyes in the bulk water phase by gel chromatography. The headgroups 3 and 7 may consist of redox systems, e.g., quinones in different oxidation states. The aqueous and membraneous surface regions 2,8 and 4,6 may enrich polar or charged compounds. Large and flat hydrophobic molecules (e.g., porphyrins) prefer the same regions. The central region 5 is thought take up some hydrophobic steroids and carotenoids.

---