Elastic precursor of the transformation from glycolipid-nanotube to -vesicle

TL;DR

This study investigates the elastic precursor to the transformation of glycolipid nanotubes into vesicles, revealing a softening of nanotubes before the phase transition through combined optical and spectroscopic techniques.

Contribution

It introduces a novel experimental approach combining optical tweezers and microscopy to measure nanotube rigidity and identifies microscopic wall changes preceding the phase transition.

Findings

Rigidity decreases before the transition temperature.

Microscopic wall changes are detected via FT-IR and DSC.

Softening of nanotubes acts as a precursor to vesicle formation.

Abstract

By the combination of optical tweezer manipulation and digital video microscopy, the flexural rigidity of single glycolipid "nano" tubes has been measured below the transition temperature at which the lipid tubules are transformed into vesicles. Consequently, we have found a clear reduction of the rigidity obviously before the transition as temperature increasing. Further experiments of infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) have suggested a microscopic change of the tube walls, synchronizing with the precursory softening of the nanotubes.