ABSTRACT
Many biological regulatory phenomena, especially those related to the immune system, involve interactions between soluble ligands and receptor molecules embedded within membranes of a structure which might generally be referred to as a "receptor-carrier." Another system consists of antibody ligands interacting with antigens covalently attached to the membrane molecules of liposomes. Such a system plays a key role in liposome-based immunolysis assays which have been developed. The chapter describes a receptor carrier-based approach for studying the effects of ligand/binding interactions for a variety of simple systems, all of which involve monovalent receptor sites embedded within the vesicle membranes. Monovalent antibodies specific to the antigen are introduced to the suspension of vesicles. Many theoretical studies included kinetic as well as equilibrium studies of monovalent, bivalent, and multivalent ligands interacting with monovalent or bivalent receptors.
