Lipid corralling and poloxamer squeeze-out in membranes

Using x-ray scattering measurements we have quantitatively determined the effect of poloxamer 188 (P188), a polymer known to seal damaged membranes, on the structure of lipid monolayers. P188 selectively inserts into low lipid-density regions of the membrane and "corrals" lipid molecules to pack tightly, leading to unexpected Bragg peaks at low nominal lipid density and inducing lipid/poloxamer phase separation.

At tighter lipid packing, the once inserted P188 is squeezed out, allowing the poloxamer to gracefully exit when the membrane integrity is restored.