Microtubes self-assembled from a cholesterol-modified nucleoside

Abstract

We describe the formation of lipid microtubes from a novel cholesterol-modified nucleoside in binary mixture with phospholipids. Stable cylindrical structures with an outer diameter of 2–3 μm and a length of 20–40 μm were formed. By varying the preparation conditions, thinner tubules with nanometre-scale diameters could also be obtained.