PERCOLATION PROCESS INDUCED BY SOLUBILIZING CYTOCHROME-C IN REVERSE MICELLES

Structural changes of reverse micelles are observed in the presence of cytochrome c. The percolation phenomenon usually observed at high temperatures occurs at room temperatures occurs at room temperature in the presence of the protein. This process takes place at high water content at a given cytochrome c concentration or at low water content, increasing the cytochrome c concentration. From the data presented in this paper, it is concluded that the droplets are connected. For cytochrome c concentration corresponding to more than two cytochrome c molecules per micelles, the increase in the water content induces a phase separation with two optically transparent phases. The upper phase mainly contains isooctane while the lower phase contains all the AOT, water, and cytochrome.