Phosphatidylcholine Molecules Research Articles

Toward Bridging a Gap Between Model and Natural Membranes for Biophysical Studies

To study their lipid interactions or obtain valuable structural information, membrane peptides or proteins need to be maintained in a lipid system as close as possible to their natural environment. Model membranes are employed in a variety of biophysical techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). However, developing a method that could allow peptide extraction and reconstitution in a native or near-native membrane would be an asset. In this work, we propose an approach inspired by bicelles, which can orient in the magnetic field. We prepared magnetically-orientable phosphatidylcholine (PC) liposomes using the membrane softening detergent Tween80 (polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate) which is also used to extract soluble and membrane-bound proteins. Our 31P and 2H solid-state NMR results show that TWeen80 mixed to DMPC and DPPC bilayers leads to elongated oriented structures which align over a wide range of lipid-to-detergent molar ratios (2<q<13) and temperatures (25-80oC). This can be ascribed to the miscibility of Tween80 and PC molecules, as shown by the thermotropic behavior of these mixture in infrared spectroscopy. We show that the orientation with respect to the magnetic field direction can be flipped from parallel to perpendicular by addition of lanthanides ions. Using a 15N-labeled model KALP transmembrane peptide, 15N solid-state NMR spectra showed that Tween80-based PC membranes can reveal a peptide orientation, thus providing valuable data for structural determination. Altogether, our work shows that Tween80 could be exploited for membrane protein extraction, reconstitution and structural studies without requiring to a detergent removal step. This approach has the potentiel to be used with more complex membrane bilayers including native bological membranes.

Lipid molecular timeline profiling reveals diurnal crosstalk between the liver and circulation

Diurnal regulation of whole-body lipid metabolism plays a vital role in metabolic health. Although changes in lipid levels across the diurnal cycle have been investigated, the system-wide molecular responses to both short-acting fasting-feeding transitions and longer-timescale circadian rhythms have not been explored in parallel. Here, we perform time-series multi-omics analyses of liver and plasma revealing that the majority of molecular oscillations are entrained by adaptations to fasting, food intake, and the postprandial state. By developing algorithms for lipid structure enrichment analysis and lipid molecular crosstalk between tissues, we find that the hepatic phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) methylation pathway is diurnally regulated, giving rise to two pools of oscillating phosphatidylcholine (PC) molecules in the circulation, which are coupled to secretion of either very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) or high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles. Our work demonstrates that lipid molecular timeline profiling across tissues is key to disentangling complex metabolic processes and provides a critical resource for the study of whole-body lipid metabolism.

Differences in phosphatidylcholine profiles and identification of characteristic phosphatidylcholine molecules in meat animal species and meat cut locations

Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is an essential component of the plasma membrane. Its profile varies with species and tissues. However, the PC profiles in meat have not been explored in depth. This study aimed to investigate the differences in PC profiles between various meat animal species and meat cut sites, along with the identification of characteristic PC molecules. The results demonstrated that the PC profiles of chicken meat differed from those of other species. Significant differences were also observed between the PC profiles of pork meat and the meat obtained from other species. The amount of PCs containing ether bonds was high in pork meat. PCs containing an odd number of carbon atoms were characteristic of beef and lamb meats. Furthermore, PC profiles differed based on the muscle location in chicken and pork. These results suggest that the PC profiles of skeletal muscles are indicators of animal species and muscle location.

Highly efficient biosynthesis of phosphatidylserine by the surface adsorption-catalysis in purely aqueous media and mechanism study by biomolecular simulation

• Efficient synthesis of PS by the surface adsorption-catalysis in aqueous solutions. • The enzymatic selectivity was improved and toxic solvents were completely avoided. • Adsorption regions and driving forces were confirmed by biomolecular simulations. • Diffusion processes of PC were reconstructed to illustrate biocatalytic processes. The adsorption of substrates/products on immobilized enzymes was a common bad phenomenon. A novel method was proposed to turn this “drawback” into treasure. Immobilized phospholipase D (PLD) acted as not only the catalyst, but also an “anchor molecule” facilitating the adsorption of hydrophobic substrate phosphatidylcholine (PC) in purely aqueous solutions. The PC loading even reached 96.7 %. The adsorption region and relevant driving forces were confirmed by the molecular docking and dynamics. The highest yield of phosphatidylserine (PS) reached 95.4 %. An “artificial interphase” was created, allowing a hydrophobic microenvironment for minimal hydrolysis. Simulation results indicated that adsorbed PC molecules would diffuse into the active center by rapid adsorption-desorption equilibrium or the parallel movement on the surface of PLD or combination diffusion. It explained why these “fixed” substrates could interact with the active center. Moreover, obtained PS was manufactured into microcapsules and toxic solvents were completely avoided in the whole process.

Transport mechanism of P4 ATPase phosphatidylcholine flippases.

The P4 ATPases use ATP hydrolysis to transport large lipid substrates across lipid bilayers. The structures of the endosome- and Golgi-localized phosphatidylserine flippases-such as the yeast Drs2 and human ATP8A1-have recently been reported. However, a substrate-binding site on the cytosolic side has not been found, and the transport mechanisms of P4 ATPases with other substrates are unknown. Here, we report structures of the S. cerevisiae Dnf1-Lem3 and Dnf2-Lem3 complexes. We captured substrate phosphatidylcholine molecules on both the exoplasmic and cytosolic sides and found that they have similar structures. Unexpectedly, Lem3 contributes to substrate binding. The conformational transitions of these phosphatidylcholine transporters match those of the phosphatidylserine transporters, suggesting a conserved mechanism among P4 ATPases. Dnf1/Dnf2 have a unique P domain helix-turn-helix insertion that is important for function. Therefore, P4 ATPases may have retained an overall transport mechanism while evolving distinct features for different lipid substrates.

Membrane properties of ether-type phosphatidylcholine bearing partially fluorinated C18-monoacetylenic chains and their applicability to membrane protein reconstitution matrices

To examine the applicability of fluorinated membrane-forming phospholipids to reconstitution matrices for functional membrane proteins, the membrane properties of a synthetic ether-type phosphatidylcholine (PC) bearing partially fluorinated C18-monoacetylenic (9-octadecynyl) chains, DF8CCH8PC, were compared with those of its non-fluorinated counterpart, DH8CCH8PC. Light-harvesting complex 2 (LH2) and the light-harvesting 1‒reaction center core complex (LH1-RC) isolated from purple photosynthetic bacteria were employed as probe membrane proteins to evaluate the extent to which their reconstitution into DF8CCH8PC membranes could proceed. DF8CCH8PC formed more expanded and more stable fluid monolayers than DH8CCH8PC at the air-water interface at 25 °C; the former PC molecule occupied an area of ca. 0.70 nm2 at a collapse pressure, πc, of 52 mN/m, while the latter occupied an area of ca. 0.55 nm2 at a πc of 45 mN/m. In contrast, the molecular motion detected using fluorescent probes was much more restricted in DF8CCH8PC bilayers than in DH8CCH8PC ones. Although the reconstitution efficiencies of both LH2 and LH1-RC into DF8CCH8PC bilayers were lower than those into DH8CCH8PC bilayers, the membrane proteins incorporated into DF8CCH8PC bilayers showed increased thermostability. The increased thermostability of these proteins in fluorinated PC membranes might be due to the restricted molecular motion in the hydrophobic chains. The results of this study suggest that partially fluorinated PCs can be useful materials for the construction of lipid‒functional membrane protein assemblies including large membrane protein complexes, such as LH1-RC, for biotechnological applications.

Photolipid Bilayer Permeability is Controlled by Transient Pore Formation.

Controlling the release or uptake of (bio-) molecules and drugs from liposomes is critically important for a range of applications in bioengineering, synthetic biology, and drug delivery. In this paper, we report how the reversible photoswitching of synthetic lipid bilayer membranes made from azobenzene-containing phosphatidylcholine (azo-PC) molecules (photolipids) leads to increased membrane permeability. We show that cell-sized, giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) prepared from photolipids display leakage of fluorescent dyes after irradiation with UV-A and visible light. Langmuir-Blodgett and patch-clamp measurements show that the permeability is the result of transient pore formation. By comparing the trans-to-cis and cis-to-trans isomerization process, we find that this pore formation is the result of area fluctuations and a change of the area cross-section between both photolipid isomers.

Mechanism of Taurohyodeoxycholate-induced Biliary Phospholipid Efflux -Understanding the Function of the ABCB4 Enhancer for Developing Therapeutic Agents against Bile Salt-induced Liver Injury

Biliary lipids primarily consist of bile salts, phospholipids, and cholesterol. Bile salts have potent detergent properties and deleterious effects on the cell membrane and are cytotoxic to hepatocytes. We have previously reported that phosphatidylcholine (PC), the predominant bile phospholipid, protects hepatocytes from the cytotoxicity of bile salts, whereas cholesterol reverses the cytoprotective effects of PC against bile salts. ABCB4, a member of the ATP-binding cassette transporter family, secretes biliary phospholipids, especially PC, from the hepatocytes into the bile. Using Abcb4 knockout mice and HEK293 cells that stably expressed ABCB4, we examined the effects of taurine- or glycine-conjugated cholate, ursodeoxycholate, and hyodeoxycholate on the ABCB4-mediated efflux of PC. We observed that the biliary secretion of PC in wild-type mice significantly increased following infusion of all the tested bile salts, especially taurohyodeoxycholate. On the other hand, the biliary secretion of PC in Abcb4 knockout mice was not affected by the bile salt infusions. The results also demonstrated that the efflux of PC from ABCB4-expressing HEK293 cells was significantly stimulated by taurohyodeoxycholate, which has a strong potential to form mixed micelles with PC. Furthermore, the results of our study emphasized the possibility that the specific interactions of bile salts with ABCB4 are necessary for the release of PC molecules from the binding pocket of ABCB4 into the aqueous environment. Further understanding of this mechanism will aid in the development of novel therapeutic agents for cholestatic liver diseases.

Molecular Tetrahedrons as Selective and Efficient Ion Transporters via a Two-Station Swing-Relay Mechanism

The traditional approach to utilizing an ion-relay mechanism for ion transport requires three or more ion-relay stations. Herein, we describe a novel strategy, incorporating a swing action to reali...

Geometry and molecular arrangement of phosphatidylcholine-montmorillonite bioclays via classical molecular dynamics simulation

Inspired by nature, a class of new perspective materials (here referred to as bioclays) can be prepared by combining clay minerals with charged bioorganic moieties. Here we present a comprehensive computational study of a phosphatidylcholine-montmorillonite bioclay composite by employing a series of classical molecular dynamics simulations. Our detailed analysis of the structure and energies of the resulting bioclays reveals that the phosphatidylcholine molecules bind to the montmorillonite surface through their zwitterionic heads, forming layers with the aliphatic tails stretched preferably parallel to the montmorillonite surface. The tails exhibit varying degrees of flexibility and disorder depending on their distance from the surface and density of the surface coverage. The observed detachment of naturally occurring Na+ cations caused by the presence of the phosphatidylcholine zwitterionic heads suggests that cation-exchange is very likely the driving mechanism for the phosphatidylcholine adsorption on montmorillonite. Once the first layer of phosphatidylcholine forms (corresponding to a complete surface saturation, estimated as 0.1 μg cm−2), more molecules can still be attached and stabilized by the mutual phosphatidylcholine intermolecular interactions.

Qualitative distribution of endogenous phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin in serum using LC-MS/MS based profiling

PCs and SMs are the major types of glycerophospholipids and sphingophospholipids, the two main categories of phospholipids (PLs). To study the qualitative distribution of serum phosphatidylcholine (PC) and sphingomyelin (SM) in human and three rodent species, liquid chromatography-Orbitrap mass spectrometry (LC-Orbitrap-MS/MS) was used to identify them comprehensively through the accurate mass measurement of both precursor ions and their corresponding product ions. Based on the fragmentation rules of standards, the product ions at m/z 184.0733 were filtered to maximally screen possible PC and SM molecules. For PC, the fatty acid at sn-1 and sn-2 of the glycerol backbone was identified based on the product ions in negative mode. A total of 91 PCs and 31 SMs molecular species, consisting of 166 PCs and 39 SMs regioisomers, were detected in human serum, which is the most comprehensive identification of PC and SM species in serum. The qualitative distributions of PC in rat and SM in golden hamster, respectively, were more similar with that of human from an overall perspective. Those results provided guidance regarding to the animal model selection for mimicking lipid related-syndromes or diseases in human.

Structural Elucidation of Irish Ale Bioactive Polar Lipids with Antithrombotic Properties.

The structures of bioactive polar lipids (PLs) of Irish ale with potent antithrombotic and cardioprotective properties were elucidated. Ale PL was fractionated by preparative thin layer chromatography (TLC) into subclasses, and their antithrombotic effect was assessed against human platelet aggregation induced by the pro-inflammatory mediator, platelet-activating factor (PAF). The fatty acid content and the overall structures of ale PL were elucidated by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Phosphatidylcholines (PC) and molecules of the sphingomyelin (SM) family exhibited the strongest anti-PAF effects, followed by phosphatidylethanolamines (PE). PC contained higher amounts of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) and thus the lowest n-6/n-3 ratio. Bioactive diacyl and alkyl-acyl PC and PE molecules bearing n-3 PUFA at their sn-2 position, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and α-linolenic acid (ALA) but mostly oleic acid (OA), were identified in both PC and PE subclasses. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) was present only in bioactive PC molecules and not in PE, explaining the lower anti-PAF effects of PE. Bioactive sphingolipid and glycolipid molecules with reported anti-inflammatory and anti-tumour properties, such as specific ceramides and glucosylcerebrosides with sphingosine, phytosphingosine and dihydrosphingosine bases but also specific monogalactodiglycerides and SM species bearing ALA at their sn-2 position, were identified in the SM subclass, providing a rational for its strong bioactivities against the PAF pathway. Further studies are required on the health benefits of bioactive PL from beer and brewery by-products.

Evaluation of antioxidative capacity and lipidomics profiling of big eye tuna (Thunns obesus) head soup with different colloidal particle size

SummaryBig eye tuna head soups with different colloidal particle sizes were prepared through various filtration ways, and their antioxidative capacities and lipidomics profiling were evaluated. The original soup (OGS) (filtrated by gauze) had the highest antioxidative activities in chemical evaluation methods. Meanwhile, OGS and microfiltration soup (MFS) (micro filtrated by 0.45 μm membrane) showed higher cellular antioxidant activities (CAA) at 20 and 40 times dilution of soup, and ultrafiltration soup (UFS) (100 ku ultrafiltration) has stronger CAA at low dilution ratios (5 and 10 times) in HepG2 cells. There were 631 lipid molecular species detected in the soup, and eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid (EPA and DHA) were mainly attached in phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) molecules, respectively. Based on the results, a speculation that the lipid molecule profile, especially the distribution of EPA/DHA in different lipid molecules, might contribute to the diversities of size of self‐assembled colloidal particles and antioxidative activities was concluded in this study.

Role of the Candida albicans glycerophosphocholine acyltransferase, Gpc1, in phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis and cell physiology

Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is an abundant phospholipid in eukaryotic membranes. Our understanding of PC biosynthesis and acyl chain remodeling in Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been expanded with the identification of a glycerophosphosphocholine acyltransferase (GPCAT), Gpc1. Gpc1 acylates glycerophosphocholine (GPC), a product of complete deacylation of PC, to form lysophosphotidylcholine (LysoPC). LysoPC can subsequently be converted to PC by Ale1. This PC deacylation reacylation pathway (PC‐DRP) defines a novel route for PC biosynthesis and provides a potential mechanism to alter the acyl chain composition of a PC molecule. Changes in acyl chain composition can, in turn, affect physical properties of a membrane, such as fluidity, width, thickness and shape. Gpc1 displays no homology to known acyltransferases and defines a new gene family with members in plants, animals and fungi. The pathogenic fungus Candida albicans displays robust transport of GPC into the cell. We have previously shown that the inability of C. albicans to transport GPC results in decreased virulence in a mouse model of disseminated candidiasis, implying this metabolite plays a role during pathogenicity. We have created a C. albicans diploid knockout of Gpc1 homolog (orf19.998) using a transient CRISPR Cas‐9 system. Preliminary lipid analyses indicate that Gpc1 impacts PC biosynthesis in vivo. The physiological roles of CaGpc1 are being examined through growth and expression studies. Conditions to be examined include those associated with the human host and virulence, including elevated temperature, serum exposure, and hyphae inducing conditions.Support or Funding InformationNIH R15 GM104876

Insight into erythrocyte phospholipid molecular flux in healthy humans and in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Although the distribution of cellular membrane phospholipid composition is well characterised in human erythrocytes, in-vivo turnover and dynamic flux of phospholipids between plasma and erythrocytes in physiological and in particular during disease states are mostly unknown. Erythrocyte mass primarily consisted of lipids and phosphatidylcholine (PC) contributes to the significant proportion of phospholipid membrane composition. Esterified membrane PC can be utilised during pathological processes to generate pro and anti-inflammatory lipid mediators, which can contribute to the pathogenesis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In this study, utilising isotope labelling of choline and analytical methods with electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS), we characterised individual molecular composition and dynamic exchange of PC, sphingomyelins (SM) and lysophosphatidylcholines (LPC) between plasma and erythrocytes. In ARDS patients, there were significant alterations in PC molecular composition, coupled with a continuous loss of arachidonoyl-PC species over time. Infusion of methyl-D9-choline chloride resulted in enrichment of labelled choline into plasma PC and LPC via CDP-choline pathway with subsequent incorporation into erythrocyte PC. As expected, erythrocyte methyl-D9 PC enrichment is much slower than plasma. Patients had much faster and higher fractional enrichment of all PC and LPC molecules suggesting increased flux between plasma and erythrocytes. There was a particular pattern of incorporation, where the arachidonoyl-PC species achieved equilibrium with plasma rapidly and retained highest concentrations of enrichment compared to the other PC species. Increased enrichment of arachidonoyl-PC coupled with virtually no increase or depletion of its concentrations suggests the possibility of substrate donation for other cell types for the participation of eicosanoid biosynthesis during inflammatory conditions like ARDS. In summary, this study revealed an alerted pattern erythrocyte molecular phospholipid composition and flux in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome and the pathological consequences of these changes needs further exploration.

Prolongation of secondary drying step of phospholipid lyophilization greatly improves acidolysis reactions catalyzed by immobilized lecitase ultra

Conjugated linolenic acid (CLA) has important health effects, and their phospholipids forms (PL) are advantageous vehicles of this bioactive agent. Acidolysis of soybean phosphatidylcholine (PC) with conjugated linolenic acid (CLA) catalyzed by Lecitase® Ultra immobilized on Duolite A658 was studied. This reaction is typically limited by hydrolysis, producing 60–90 % of lyso- and glycero-PC and yielding low the process efficiency. Drying the amphiphilic PC material was found the key factor for maximal diacylglycerol phosphatidylcholines (PC) production and different drying approaches were studied to maximize the formation of PC rich in CLA in a solvent free process.PC lyophilization for 24 h getting dry solid appearance (PC; 783 ± 11 mg water/Kg PC) or other standard protocols to reduce water content/activity of reaction medium, did not improve the reaction performance. However, adding 4 extra days to the second step of lyophilization at high vacuum (1 Pa) and moderate temperature (20 °C), followed by further PC dehydration with molecular sieves, drastically reduced the hydrolysis process by achieving a extensive PC dehydration (279 ± 4 mg water/Kg PC), obtaining for the first time >99% molar yield of diacyl-PC product. After 24 h of reaction, a diacyl-PC product with 72.3% CLA content was obtained. PC molecules containing two CLA were the major species formed.

Complex Behavior of Phosphatidylcholine-Phosphatidic Acid Bilayers and Monolayers: Effect of Acyl Chain Unsaturation.

Phosphatidic acids (PAs) have many biological functions in biomembranes, e.g., they are involved in the proliferation, differentiation, and transformation of cells. Despite decades of research, the molecular understanding of how PAs affect the properties of biomembranes remains elusive. In this study, we explored the properties of lipid bilayers and monolayers composed of PAs and phosphatidylcholines (PCs) with various acyl chains. For this purpose, the Langmuir monolayer technique and atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to study the miscibility of PA and PC lipids and the molecular organization of mixed bilayers. The monolayer experiments demonstrated that the miscibility of membrane components strongly depends on the structure of the hydrocarbon chains and thus on the overall lipid shape. Interactions between PA and PC molecules vary from repulsive, for systems containing lipids with saturated and unsaturated acyl tails (strongly positive values of the excess free energy of mixing), to attractive, for systems in which all lipid tails are saturated (negative values of the excess free energy of mixing). The MD simulations provided atomistic insight into polar interactions (formation of hydrogen bonds and charge pairs) in PC-PA systems. H-bonding between PA monoanions and PCs in mixed bilayers is infrequent, and the lipid molecules interact mainly via electrostatic interactions. However, the number of charge pairs significantly decreases with the number of unsaturated lipid chains in the PA-PC system. The PA dianions weakly interact with the zwitterionic lipids, but their headgroups are more hydrated as compared to the monoanionic form. The acyl chains in all PC-PA bilayers are more ordered compared to single-component PC systems. In addition, depending on the combination of lipids, we observed a deeper location of the PA phosphate groups compared to the PC phosphate groups, which can alter the presentation of PAs for the peripheral membrane proteins, affecting their accessibility for binding.

Characterization of Gylcerophosphocholine Acyltransferase Homolog, Gpc1, in Candida albicans

The maintenance of membrane composition through regulated synthesis and turnover of phospholipids is crucial to cellular homeostasis. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is the most abundant phospholipid in most eukaryotic membranes. We have identified a glycerophosphosphocholine acyltransferase (GPCAT), Gpc1, that expands our understanding of PC biosynthesis and acyl chain remodeling in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Gpc1 acylates glycerophosphocholine (GPC), a product of complete deacylation of PC, to form lysophosphotidylcholine (LysoPC). LysoPC can subsequently be converted to PC by Ale1. This PC deacylation reacylation pathway (PC‐DRP) defines a novel route for PC biosynthesis and provides a potential mechanism to alter the acyl chain composition of a PC molecule. Changes in acyl chain composition can, in turn, affect physical properties of a membrane, such as fluidity, width, thickness and shape. Gpc1 displays no homology to known acyltransferases and defines a new gene family with members in animals, plants and fungi. The pathogenic fungus Candida albicans displays robust transport of GPC into the cell. We have previously shown that the inability of C. albicans to transport GPC results in decreased virulence in a mouse model of disseminated candidiasis implying this metabolite may play an important role during pathogenicity. Here we report on the creation of a C. albicans diploid knockout of Gpc1 homolog (orf19.998) using a transient CRISPR Cas‐9 system. Radiolabeling coupled with mass spectrometry are being employed to determine if the caGpc1 is similar to the scGpc1 in terms of biochemical function. Initial studies to examine the physiological role of caGpc1 are being performed.Support or Funding InformationNIH R15GM104876 (to JPV)This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Proton leakage across lipid bilayers: Oxygen atoms of phospholipid ester linkers align water molecules into transmembrane water wires

Up to half of the cellular energy gets lost owing to membrane proton leakage. The permeability of lipid bilayers to protons is by several orders of magnitude higher than to other cations, which implies efficient proton-specific passages. The nature of these passages remains obscure. By combining experimental measurements of proton flow across phosphatidylcholine vesicles, steered molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of phosphatidylcholine bilayers and kinetic modelling, we have analyzed whether protons could pass between opposite phospholipid molecules when they sporadically converge. The MD simulations showed that each time, when the phosphorus atoms of the two phosphatidylcholine molecules got closer than 1.6 nm, the eight oxygen atoms of their ester linkages could form a transmembrane ‘oxygen passage’ along which several water molecules aligned into a water wire. Proton permeability along such water wires would be limited by rearrangement of oxygen atoms, which could explain the experimentally shown independence of the proton permeability of pH, H2O/D2O substitution, and membrane dipole potential. We suggest that protons can cross lipid bilayers by moving along short, self-sustaining water wires supported by oxygen atoms of lipid ester linkages.

Structural Change in Dimyristoyl Phosphatidyl Choline (DMPC) Molecule Alkyl Chains on the Addition of Cholesterol to DMPC Monolayer: Specific Addition Effect of Cholesterol

We have investigated the morphology of dimyristoyl phosphatidyl choline (DMPC)—cholesterol mixed monolayer formed on the water surface by dropping method using surface tension measurement (STm), Brewster angle microscopy (BAM), and infrared external reflection spectroscopy (IERS). STm results showed negative deviation of the limiting molecular area (A0) of cholesterol occurred when cholesterol was added to the DMPC monolayer. BAM images showed the expandable DMPC monolayer changed to the condensed rigid monolayer at more than cholesterol mole fraction (xChol) 0.4. IERS recordings showed that the addition of cholesterol at xChol = 0.4 occurred structural change from gauche- to trans- conformation of two DMPC molecule alkyl chains. From these results, it is found that cholesterol molecule has specific properties that cause structural transition of DMPC molecule alkyl chains.