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Liposomescontaining lipids and polydiacetylene (PDA) are hybridsystems encompassing both a fluid phospholipid membrane and a polymerscaffold (PDA). However, the biophysical role of PDA in such liposomesis not well understood. In this report, we studied the effects ofphotopolymerization of PDA on the stability of lipid–PDA liposomes,and their sensitivity to selected purified toxins and bacterial supernatants,using a fluorescence assay. Of the three different types of liposomeswith variable lipid chain lengths that were chosen, the degree ofpolymerization had a significant impact on the long-term stability,and response, to external microbial exotoxins secreted by pathogenicbacteria, namely, Staphylococcus aureusand Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The degree of polymerization ofTCDA played an important role in lipid-chain-length-dependent stabilizationof lipid–PDA liposomes, as well as in their response to bacterialtoxins of S. aureusand P. aeruginosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]