The vibrational Raman spectra of both pure L-alpha-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) liposomes and DPPC multilayers reconstituted with ferricytochrome c under varying conditions of pH and ionic strength are reported as a function of temperature. Total integrated band intensities and relative peak height intensity ratios, two spectral scattering parameters used to determine bilayer disorder, are invariant to changes in pH and ionic strength but exhibit a sensitivity to the bilayer concentration of the ferricytochrome c. Protein concentrations were estimated by comparing the 1636 cm-1 resonance Raman line of known ferricytochrome c solutions to intensity values for the reconstituted multilayer samples. Temperature-dependent profiles of the 3100-2800 cm-1 C-H stretching, 1150-1000 cm-1 C-C stretching, 1440 cm-1 CH2 deformation, and 1295 cm-1 CH2 twisting mode regions characteristic of acyl chain vibrations reflect bilayer perturbations due to the weak interactions of ferricytochrome c. The DPPC multilamellar gel to liquid-crystalline phase transition temperature, TM, defined by either the C-H stretching mode I2935/I2880 or the C-C stretching mode I1061/I1090 peak height intensity ratios, is decreased by approximately 4 degrees C for the approximately 10(-4) M ferricytochrome c reconstituted DPPC liposomes. Other spectral features, such as the increase in the 2935 cm-1 C-H stretching mode region and the enhancement of higher frequency CH2 twisting modes, which arise in bilayers containing approximately 10(-4) M protein, are interpreted in terms of protein penetration into the hydrophobic region of the bilayer.