Fig 1.
A schematic for vesicle image analysis.
Vesicles are reacted with PEG lipid micelles to induce shape transformations and images are taken by a confocal microscope. Each vesicle image was binarized separately and approximated with an ellipsoid to measure the lengths of major and minor axes.
Fig 2.
A shape transformation of lipid vesicle induced by PEG lipid micelles.
(a) A spherical vesicle transformed into (b) a disc-like oblate, (c) cylindrical prolate, and eventually divided into (d) two large and small vesicles.
Fig 3.
Temporal changes of the mean and variance of the M-m ratio.
Fig 4.
The mean and variance of the M-m ratio against the concentration of PEG lipid micelles.
Fig 5.
Histograms of the M-m ratio for different concentrations of PEG lipid micelles.
(a) 0 μM, (b) 2.58 μM, (c) 5.16 μM, (d) 10.32 μM, (e) 20.63 μM, (f) 41.25 μM, (g) 82.5 μM, and (h) 165 μM. Characteristic peaks were indicated as arrows.
Fig 6.
Microscope images of lipid vesicles consisting the peaks (arrowed) of Fig 3.
The concentrations of PEG lipid micelles are (a) 10.32μM, (b) 20.63 μM, and (c) 41.25 μM, which correspond to Fig 3f, 3e, and 3d, respectively. Images of simulated vesicles that look similar to observed vesicles are shown on the right. Parameters of the vesicles are: (d) v = 0.83, Δa = 1.30, (e) v = 0.76, Δa = 1.34, (f) v = 0.69, Δa = 1.39.
Fig 7.
Reconstructed 3D images of a transforming lipid vesicle.
(a) immediately after the addition of PEG lipid micelles, (b) after 2 min, (c) after 4 min (d) after 8 min. Numbers below images indicate the reduced volume v. The concentration of PEG lipid was 2.58 μM.