Cholesterol-induced variations in the volume and enthalpy fluctuations of lipid bilayers.

The sound velocity and density of suspensions of large unilamellar liposomes from dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine with admixed cholesterol have been measured as a function of temperature around the chain melting temperature of the phospholipid. The cholesterol-to-phospholipid molar ratio xc has been varied over a wide range (0 </= xc </= 0.5). The temperature dependence of the sound velocity number, of the apparent specific partial volume of the phospholipid, and of the apparent specific adiabatic compressibility have been derived from the measured data. These data are particularly discussed with respect to the volume fluctuations within the samples. A theoretical relation between the compressibility and the excess heat capacity of the bilayer system has been derived. Comparison of the compressibilities (and sound velocity numbers) with heat capacity traces display the close correlation between these quantities for bilayer systems. This correlation appears to be very useful as it allows some of the mechanical properties of membrane systems to be calculated from the specific heat capacity data and vice versa.