Kinetics of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Solubilization of Mycoplasma laidlawii Plasma Membranes

The kinetics of sodium dodecyl sulfate solubilization of aqueous suspensions of Mycoplasma laidlawii membranes have been investigated by light scattering in a stopped-flow apparatus. There was evidence of direct interaction between the membranes and sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles above the critical micelle concentration, although of lower order kinetically than with monomeric dodecyl sulfate anions below the critical micelle concentration. The activation energy remained the same in either case, about 10 kcal/mol. Static light-scattering studies at higher resolution showed that the solubilized membranes are in the form of small aggregates.