Phase transitions in planar bilayer membranes.

Temperature-dependent structural changes in planar bilayer membranes formed from glycerol monooleate (GMO) dispersed in various n-alkane solvents (C12-C17) have been studied using precise measurements of specific geometric capacitance (Cg). Cg generally increases as temperature (T) decreases. A change in the slope of Cg(T) occurs between 15 and 18 degrees C for all solvent systems examined. Measurements of the interfacial tension (gamma) of the bulk GMO-alkane dispersions against 0.1 M NaCl show that gamma generally decreases with decreasing temperature. The data can be fitted with two straight lines of different slope which intersect on the average at 17 degrees C. Pagano et al. (1973, Science (Wash. D.C.). 181:557) have shown using calorimetry that GMO has a phase transition at about 15 degrees C. Thus, the changes in Cg and gamma with temperature are likely to result from a GMO phase transition. A second structural change is observed to occur between 5 and 10 degrees C which has not been detected calorimetrically. Calculations of Cg based on various estimates of the hydrocarbon dielectric coefficient (epsilon-b) and/or hydrocarbon thickness (delta-b) leads to models for the structure of the bilayer above and below the phase transition temperature.