Correlation between adhesion strength and phase behaviour in solid-supported lipid membranes

Fundamental understanding of vesicle adhesion in the size range <= 200 nm is of major importance when addressing biologically relevant processes involving the presence of small vesicles like exosomes or endosomes. Using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, we investigate the correlation between vesicle deformation and eventual membrane rupture on surfaces with different adhesion levels, as well as their respective thermotropic phase transitions. In particular, phase transitions of solid-supported membranes on Au resemble the cooperative behaviour of lipid membrane transitions in bulk. In contrast, solid-supported membranes on SiO2 exhibit broadened 'double-peak' transitions, rendering a 'decoupling' effect during melting due to stronger interactions with SiO2. This paper provides a comprehensive view of the correlation between size, geometry and phase transitions observed in the layer of adsorbed lipid vesicles/membranes. It paves the way to explore structural changes on more complex biointerfaces by acoustic-based sensors. (C) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.