SURFACTANT INTERACTIONS WITH BIOMEMBRANES AND PROTEINS

Surfactants such as SDS (sodium dodecylsulfate), membrane lipids, and proteins are amphipathic, containing both hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains. These groups of compounds are reviewed with reference to surfactant-phospholipid, surfactant-cell membrane, and surfactant-globular protein interactions. The binding of surfactants to proteins is examined from the standpoint of binding isotherms and the structures of the complexes determined by scattering techniques.