Retention of aqueous contents during divalent cation-induced fusion of phospholipid vesicles

The relative kinetics of intermixing and release of liposome aqueous contents during Ca2+-induced membrane fusion has been investigated. Fusion was monitored by the Tb-dipicolinic acid (DPA) fluorescence assay. Release was followed by the relief of self-quenching of carboxyfluorescein or by Tb fluorescence, with essentially identical results. Fusion of large unilamellar vesicles (LUV) made of phosphatidylserine (PS) in 100 mM NaCl (pH 7.4) at 25°C was initially non-leaky, whereas the fusion of small unilamellar vesicles (SUV) was accompanied by partial release of contents. After several rounds of fusion, the internal aqueous space of the vesicles collapsed. The rate of intermixing of lipids, measured by a resonance energy transfer assay, and the rate of coalescence of aqueous contents during fusion were similar over a range of Ca2+ concentrations. Most of the aqueous contents were retained after the fusion of SUV (PS) in 5 mM NaCl and 1 mM Ca2+. LUV made of a 1:1 mixture of Bacillus subtilis cardiolipin and dioleoylphosphatidylcholine went through about two rounds of fusion in the presence of Ca2+ at 10°C, with complete retention of contents. Similar results were obtained with vesicles composed of phosphatidate/PS/phosphatidylethanolamine/cholesterol (1:2:3:2) in the presence of Ca2+ and synexin at 25°C. These results emphasize the diversity of the relative kinetics of fusion and release in different phospholipid vesicle systems under various ionic conditions, and indicate that the initial events in the fusion of LUV are in general, non-leaky. © 1983