Elastic precursor of the transformation from glycolipid-nanotube to -vesicle

By the combination of optical tweezer manipulation and digital video microscopy, the flexural rigidity of single glycolipid “nano” tubes has been measured below the transition temperature at which the lipid tubules are transformed into vesicles. Consequently, we have found a clear reduction of the rigidity obviously before the transition as temperature increasing. Further experiments of infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) have suggested a microscopic change of the tube walls, synchronizing with the precursory softening of the nanotubes.