Membrane dynamics of a myelin-like giant multilamellar vesicle applicable to a self-reproducing system.

A real time observation of a myelin-like giant multilamellar vesicle (mGMV) revealed that it divided into relatively small mGMVs when an aqueous solution of an electrolyte was added. Furthermore, the mGMV showed a division process accompanied by the growth of the dividing mGMVs when a bolaamphiphile which was composed of an electrolyte unit and a vesicular amphiphile unit was added. This vesicular system can be regarded as a self-reproduction of mGMV, where the added amphiphile acts as a supplier of both the vesicular amphiphile and the division initiator.