Characteristic curved structure derived from collagen-containing tubular giant vesicles under static magnetic field

Collagen-containing tubular giant vesicles (Col-tGVs) under a high static magnetic field were found to constitute characteristic curved structures (e.g. circular, 8-figure, and hairpin-loop), which were sustained by polymerization of collagen units inside the tGV. We ascribed the formation of these structures to the elasticity of the tGV and to the competing diamagnetic anisotropies between collagen and the tGV. These curved structures can be well expressed by the equation of elastica. (C) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.