Abstract
Recent advances in the studies of micelle-vesicle transition were reviewed. Common phenomena appeared in the transition process were extracted from among a variety of data, which seemingly confricted with each other, because of their different phospholipids, detergents or detergent-removal methods. A 4 stages model was proposed than the 3 stages model. In the first stage, detergent is simply removed from the mixed micelles resulting in the glowth of the micellar size. In the second stage, micelle to vesicle (SUV*) transition occurs. In the third stage, postvesiculation size glowth from SUV* to LUV occurs by a fusion or a phospholipid transfer. In the fourth stage, detergent is simply removed resulting in the decrease of the vesicle size. Vesicle destruction is basically symmetrical opposite of the vesicle formation process. The 4 stages model, developed here, not only solved the contradiction among data obtained by many investigators, but also suggested a new method of vesicle size regulation in vesicle preparation process.
