SMALL-ANGLE X-RAY AND NEUTRON-SCATTERING FROM GANGLIOSIDE MICELLAR SOLUTIONS

The ganglioside GM1 is a biological amphiphile with a double tail hydr ophobic part and an oligosaccharide chain headgroup. In solution it fo rms micelles which interact by electrostatic repulsion. The micellar p arameters obtained at low concentration by light and neutron scatterin g are used to interpret the small angle X-ray experiments performed at high concentration. The combination of the contrast inhomogeneity ins ide the micelle with the sharp structure-factor peaks, due to the stro ng electrostatic interaction, makes X-ray scattering spectra very sens itive to small changes in the micellar parameters.