Membrane Vesicles

This chapter describes the membrane vesicles. The membrane vesicles can take up lipids when incubated with lipid micelles or liposomes, a process that results in important compositional and fluidity changes within these membranes. Thus, the membrane vesicle can be a useful tool, not only for kinetic studies of membrane functions under a particular set of conditions, but also to establish structure-function relationships in membranes under varied conditions. The brush border and basolateral membrane vesicles are also used to study the kinetics of transport and the conditions for uptake of a great variety of substances including ions, sugars, amino acids, peptides, bile salts, fatty acids, cholesterol, other steroids, and other lipids, and vitamins. The preparation and uses of brush border and basolateral membrane preparations are illustrated in the chapter with some underlining of recent studies involving vitamin transport and effects of vitamin D status on the properties of the membranes.