Temperature-induced micellar-lamellar transformation in binary mixtures of saturated phosphatidylcholines with sodium cholate.

The transition states of binary mixtures of dipalmitoyl- and dimyristoylphosphatidylcholines with sodium cholate at the reversible temperature-induced micellar-lamellar transformation were characterized by turbidimetry, electron microscopy, 31P NMR and differential scanning calorimetry. This transformation is triggered by the phospholipid acyl chain melting, and appears to include two structural pathways: (i) from discoidal mixed micelles to network-like structures composed of long interlaced rod-like micelles, then to multilayer membrane structures, and finally to multilamellar vesicles; and (ii) from discoidal micelles to membrane fragments and finally to unilamellar vesicles.