Static and dynamic depolarized laser light scattering from large aggregates in equilibrium with small vesicles

Depolarized laser light-scattering measurements have been performed on dilute solutions of the ganglioside GM3 in order to confirm the existence of a small amount of axisymmetric particles in thermodynamic equilibrium with a main population of unilamellar vesicles (average radius 250 A). Both static and dynamic data are consistent with a dislike form with an average radius of 3500 A. The use of depolarized light scattering has been proved to be useful to optically separate the contributions coming from different coexisting aggregate shapes in solution.