Abstract
The cell membranes of thermoacidophilic archaea contain lipids with unique structural motifs such as ether linkages, branched chains, and membrane-spanning bipolar macrocycles that may allow the organisms to maintain the large pH gradient they require to survive. We investigated the relationship between the chemical structure of a number of lipids and the proton permeability of the membranes they form by using an optimized proton permeation assay performed on liposomes containing a fluorescent indicator dye. This work focuses on the effects of tethering on proton permeability and examines lipids with membrane-spanning chains of varied length and chemical structure (e.g. number and identity of rings). We discuss the results in the context of similar chemical groups and structures found in the cell membranes of extremophiles.
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