Mass Action Kinetics of Phosphatidylserine Vesicle Fusion As Monitored by Coalescence of Internal Vesicle Volumes

Shlomo Nir, Joe Bentz, Jan Wilschut*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

85 Scopus citations

Abstract

The kinetics of Ca2+-induced fusion of sonicated phosphatidylserine vesicles is analyzed by means of the mass action model. The results of calculations are shown to simulate the experimental results for the mixing of aqueous vesicle volumes, release of vesicle contents and for the observed increase in light scattering [Wilschut, J., Düzgünes, N., Fraley, R., & Papahadjopoulos, D. (1980) Biochemistry (first of three papers in this issue)]. The calculations give the distribution of vesicle sizes during the initial stages of the fusion process and an estimate for the occurrence of multiple fusion events. It is estimated that during the first few seconds from the beginning of the fusion process in the above systems only a small fraction of the material trapped will leak during each fusion event. The fraction of material which leaks per fusion event is further reduced with increased Ca2+concentrations. The values of the rates of fusion which describe the above experiments suggest that the rate limiting step of the overall fusion reaction is the aggregation and close approach of vesicles to each other rather than the fusion event per se.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)6030-6036
Number of pages7
JournalBiochemistry
Volume19
Issue number26
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Feb 1980
Externally publishedYes

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