An. Chanturiya, A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF PLANAR LIPID-MEMBRANES FORMED BY MONTAL-MUELLER AND MUELLER-RUDIN TECHNIQUES, Biologiceskie membrany, 13(2), 1996, pp. 216-221
Planar phospholipid bilayer membranes formed by two techniques, Montal
-Mueller and Mueller-Rudin, were compared in order to determine the di
fferences between these two types of BLM. The specific capacitance and
the morphology of membranes formed from different lipid/solvent combi
nations were examined using a ramp of voltage and high resolution inte
rference contrast and fluorescence microscopy. It was found that the s
pecific capacitance depends more upon the choice of lipids and hydroca
rbons used for membrane formation than upon the method of formation. F
or diphytanoyl-phosphocholine membranes, capacitance increases with th
e increase in molecular weight of the hydrocarbon used either for hole
pretreatment or for making a membrane forming solution. For phosphati
dylethanolamine membranes. No differences were found in the morphology
of membranes formed using these techniques. Both led to membranes hav
ing tort, and the membranes often contained lenses and/or linear struc
tures. Examination of these structures in membranes formed with the ad
dition of fluorescent lipid indicates that they contain substantial am
ount of lipid.