Interaction of N-myristoyldimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine with dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine investigated by differential scanning calorimetry: binary phase diagram.

The temperature-composition phase diagram was derived for hydrated, binary mixtures of N-myristoyldimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine (N-14 DMPE) and dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine by high sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry. Gel phase immiscibility was detected in mixtures containing up to 20 mol% N-14 DMPE and there was no evidence for compound formation between the two components. In the fluid phase nearly complete miscibility is indicated by the calorimetric data. These results are relevant to understanding the role of N-acylphosphatidylethanolamines in the stress combating responses of organisms and in their application to developing liposome-based drug delivery systems.