Disklike assemblies of a synthetic glycolipid and their association with Concanavalin A

A synthetic glycolipid, 1,5-bis-O-octadecyl-N-maltopentaonoyl-L-glutamate (1), was dispersed in aqueous media above its phase transition temperature to form sheet-like assemblies. They were changed to disk- and ellipsoid-like assemblies by extrusion and sonication, respectively. The structures, stabilities, and thermal properties were studied with microscopic, optical, and calorimetric methods. The disk-like assemblies were homogeneous and the most stable. They formed a unique complex with Concanavalin A (ConA) to become a rouleaux-like structure. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Limited.