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Diffusional transport in responding lipid membranes

Sparr, Emma LU ; Åberg, Christoffer LU ; Nilsson, Peter LU and Wennerström, Håkan LU (2009) In Soft Matter 5(17). p.3225-3233
Abstract
Diffusional transport across lipid membranes can be highly complex and include several parallel transport processes. It is typical for the responding lipid membrane that small changes in the membrane environment can lead to major changes in membrane structure. In a multilayer membrane, the response can lie in heterogeneous swelling and phase transformations. The changes in membrane structure profoundly affect the molecular environment and thus the local diffusion properties. This feedback mechanism generates non-linear transport behaviour where an external gradient can be used as a kind of switch to regulate the membrane barrier properties. This coupling between the dynamic and the static properties of the membrane forms the basis for this... (More)
Diffusional transport across lipid membranes can be highly complex and include several parallel transport processes. It is typical for the responding lipid membrane that small changes in the membrane environment can lead to major changes in membrane structure. In a multilayer membrane, the response can lie in heterogeneous swelling and phase transformations. The changes in membrane structure profoundly affect the molecular environment and thus the local diffusion properties. This feedback mechanism generates non-linear transport behaviour where an external gradient can be used as a kind of switch to regulate the membrane barrier properties. This coupling between the dynamic and the static properties of the membrane forms the basis for this review paper that describes the basic concepts of responding membranes and illustrates some examples of where it can be applied. A major feature of responding membranes is that non-linear transport behaviour can be induced by the gradients that cause phase transformation in the membrane. This is illustrated for a lipid membrane in the presence of an osmotic gradient. The principles are also applied to the barrier of stratum corneum, the upper layer of the human skin, where it can provide an explanation for the so-called occlusion effect and the formation of the ``acidic mantle'' of the skin surface. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Soft Matter
volume
5
issue
17
pages
3225 - 3233
publisher
Royal Society of Chemistry
external identifiers
  • wos:000269062900008
  • scopus:70349315527
ISSN
1744-6848
DOI
10.1039/b901737b
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
86f04dec-81dc-4ba6-97bb-b7f06168f6cd (old id 1453955)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:01:18
date last changed
2022-03-14 08:55:23
@article{86f04dec-81dc-4ba6-97bb-b7f06168f6cd,
  abstract     = {{Diffusional transport across lipid membranes can be highly complex and include several parallel transport processes. It is typical for the responding lipid membrane that small changes in the membrane environment can lead to major changes in membrane structure. In a multilayer membrane, the response can lie in heterogeneous swelling and phase transformations. The changes in membrane structure profoundly affect the molecular environment and thus the local diffusion properties. This feedback mechanism generates non-linear transport behaviour where an external gradient can be used as a kind of switch to regulate the membrane barrier properties. This coupling between the dynamic and the static properties of the membrane forms the basis for this review paper that describes the basic concepts of responding membranes and illustrates some examples of where it can be applied. A major feature of responding membranes is that non-linear transport behaviour can be induced by the gradients that cause phase transformation in the membrane. This is illustrated for a lipid membrane in the presence of an osmotic gradient. The principles are also applied to the barrier of stratum corneum, the upper layer of the human skin, where it can provide an explanation for the so-called occlusion effect and the formation of the ``acidic mantle'' of the skin surface.}},
  author       = {{Sparr, Emma and Åberg, Christoffer and Nilsson, Peter and Wennerström, Håkan}},
  issn         = {{1744-6848}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{17}},
  pages        = {{3225--3233}},
  publisher    = {{Royal Society of Chemistry}},
  series       = {{Soft Matter}},
  title        = {{Diffusional transport in responding lipid membranes}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/b901737b}},
  doi          = {{10.1039/b901737b}},
  volume       = {{5}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}