Resonance energy transfer in a model system of membranes: Application to gel and liquid crystalline phases

Resonance energy transfer between octadecyl rhodamine B (donor) and 1,1',3,3,3',3'-hexamethylindotricarbocyanine (acceptor) was studied in a model system of membranes (large unilamellar vesicles of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine), using both steady-state and time-resolved techniques, In the fluid phase (temperature=50 degrees C) the decay law and the steady-state theoretical curve for energy transfer in two dimensions are verified. In the gel phase (temperature=25 degrees C) an apparent reduction of dimensionality is observed, which is explained on the basis of probe segregation to the defect lines (grain boundaries). An estimation of the domain size from the model recovered linear probe concentrations is approximately 1750-2000 lipid molecules. In both phases, the existence of a fractal geometry was ruled out.