Headgroup Size Research Articles

Membrane Curvature and Lipid Composition Synergize To Regulate N-Ras Anchor Recruitment

Proteins anchored to membranes through covalently linked fatty acids and/or isoprenoid groups play crucial roles in all forms of life. Sorting and trafficking of lipidated proteins has traditionally been discussed in the context of partitioning to membrane domains of different lipid composition. We recently showed that membrane shape/curvature can in itself mediate the recruitment of lipidated proteins. However, exactly how membrane curvature and composition synergize remains largely unexplored. Here we investigated how three critical structural parameters of lipids, namely acyl chain saturation, headgroup size, and acyl chain length, modulate the capacity of membrane curvature to recruit lipidated proteins. As a model system we used the lipidated minimal membrane anchor of the GTPase, N-Ras (tN-Ras). Our data revealed complex synergistic effects, whereby tN-Ras binding was higher on planar DOPC than POPC membranes, but inversely higher on curved POPC than DOPC membranes. This variation in the binding to both planar and curved membranes leads to a net increase in the recruitment by membrane curvature of tN-Ras when reducing the acyl chain saturation state. Additionally, we found increased recruitment by membrane curvature of tN-Ras when substituting PC for PE, and when decreasing acyl chain length from 14 to 12 carbons (DMPC versus DLPC). However, these variations in recruitment ability had different origins, with the headgroup size primarily influencing tN-Ras binding to planar membranes whereas the change in acyl chain length primarily affected binding to curved membranes. Molecular field theory calculations recapitulated these findings and revealed lateral pressure as an underlying biophysical mechanism dictating how curvature and composition synergize to modulate recruitment of lipidated proteins. Our findings suggest that the different compositions of cellular compartments could modulate the potency of membrane curvature to recruit lipidated proteins and thereby synergistically regulate the trafficking and sorting of lipidated proteins.

Modulation of Activity of Ultrashort Lipopeptides toward Negatively Charged Model Lipid Films.

Because of the increasing resistance of pathogens to commonly used antibiotics, there is an urgent need to find alternative antimicrobial compounds with different mechanisms of action. Among them, lipopeptides are recognized as promising candidates. In this work, the Langmuir technique and atomic force microscopy were employed to investigate the interactions of two novel lipopeptides with negatively charged phospholipid membranes, which served as a simplified model of inner membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. Lipid films contained phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol extracts from E. coli bacteria. Lipopeptides were composed of palmitoyl chain covalently coupled to N-terminus of peptide with Trp-Lys-Leu-Lys amino acid sequence and the conformation of third residue was either d-Leu or l-Leu. It was found that chirality of leucine strongly affects interfacial behavior of these compounds, which was ascribed to the difference in effective size of the peptide portion of the molecules. Although the lipopeptides were the same in terms of amino acid sequence, charge, and identity of lipophilic chain, the experiments revealed that the barrier for their insertion into the lipid membrane is significantly different. Namely, it was lower for lipopeptide containing d-Leu residue. We have also found that insertion of the lipopeptides into the model membranes strongly alters lateral distribution of the membrane components and leads to its substantial fluidization. The dynamics of reorganization was noticeably faster in the presence of lipopeptide with smaller size of peptide moiety, i.e., containing d-Leu. It proves that effective size of the peptide headgroup is an important factor determining lipopeptide activity toward the lipid membranes.

Equilibrium and dynamic surface tension in relation to diffusivity and foaming properties: Effects of surfactant type and structure

The main objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of molecular structure of surfactant on surface properties and foam characteristics and to correlate surface tension to foam properties. Two series of methyl ester sulfonate with different alkyl chain lengths (MESx, x=14, 16, and 18) and polyoxyethylated dodecyl alcohol with different head group sizes (C12EOn, n=3, 5, 7, and 9) were measured for equilibrium and dynamic surface tension as well as foamability and foam stability. The equilibrium experimental data were well fitted with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The dynamic surface tension data were used to calculate diffusivity values of all studied surfactants by using Word-Tordai equation. The longer the alkyl group of MESx, the lower the diffusivity value. The larger the EO head group size, higher the diffusivity. For both studied surfactant groups, the higher the maximum rate of surface tension reduction, the higher the diffusivity and foaming properties in terms of foamability and foam stability.

Effect of pressure on bilayer phase behavior of N-methylated di-O-hexadecylphosphatidylethanolamines: relevance of head-group modification on the bilayer interdigitation

The phase transitions of N-methylated di-O-hexadecylphosphatidylethanolamines (DHPE, DH-N-methyl-PE (DHMePE) and DH-N,N-dimethyl-PE (DHMe2PE)) were observed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and fluorometry under atmospheric pressure and by light-transmittance measurements under high pressure. The DSC thermograms showed that the N-methylated DHPE bilayers underwent the phase transition from the gel phase to the liquid crystalline (Lα) phase under atmospheric pressure. The gel phase was identified by fluorometry as the lamellar gel (Lβ) phase, and not interdigitated gel (LβI) phase. The gel/Lα transition temperature increased with pressure while decreased stepwise with increasing polar head-group size. This stepwise depression of the transition temperature may be caused by the inverse-proportional hydrogen-bonding capabilities of the head-group to the head-group size. The thermodynamic quantities of the gel/Lα transition were comparable for the N-methylated DHPE bilayers. The pressure-induced LβI phase was not found in these bilayers although the bilayer of di-O-hexadecylphosphatidylcholine (DHPC), which is a kind of N-methylated DHPEs, forms the LβI phase only by hydration under atmospheric pressure. Taking into account that the bilayers of diacyl-homologs of N-methylated DHPEs, N-methylated dipalmitoyl-PEs except for dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), do not form the LβI phase in the whole pressure range investigated but the DPPC bilayer forms the LβI phase under high pressure, we can say that the interdigitation requires weaker interaction between large-sized head groups like the bulky choline group.

Molecular dynamics simulation study of the effect of glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether hydroxylation on membrane thermostability

Archaeal tetraether membrane lipids span the whole membrane width and present two C40 isoprenoid chains bound by two glycerol groups (or one glycerol and calditol). These lipids confer stability and maintain the membrane fluidity in mesophile to extremophile environments, making them very attractive for biotechnological applications. The isoprenoid lipid composition in archaeal membranes varies with temperature, which has placed these lipids in the focus of paleo-climatological studies for over a decade. Non-hydroxylated isoprenoid archaeal lipids are typically used as paleo-thermometry proxies, but recently identified hydroxylated (OH) derivatives have also been proposed as temperature proxies. The relative abundance of hydroxylated lipids increases at lower temperatures, but the physiological function of the OH moiety remains unknown. Here we present molecular dynamics simulations of membranes formed by the acyclic glycerol-dialkyl-glycerol-tetraether caldarchaeol (GDGT-0), the most widespread archaeal core lipid, and its mono-hydroxylated variant (OH-GDGT-0) to better understand the physico-chemical properties conferred to the membrane by this additional moiety. The molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the additional OH group forms hydrogen bonds mainly with the sugar moieties of neighbouring lipids and with water molecules, effectively increasing the size of the polar headgroups. The hydroxylation also introduces local disorder that propagates along the entire alkyl chains, resulting in a slightly more fluid membrane. These changes would help to maintain trans-membrane transport in cold environments, explaining why the relative abundance of hydroxylated Archaea lipids increases at lower temperatures. The in silico approach aids to understand the underlying physiological mechanisms behind the hydroxylated lipid based paleo-thermometer recently proposed.

Exogenous lysophospholipids with large head groups perturb clathrin-mediated endocytosis.

In this study, we have investigated how clathrin-dependent endocytosis is affected by exogenously added lysophospholipids (LPLs). Addition of LPLs with large head groups strongly inhibits transferrin (Tf) endocytosis in various cell lines, while LPLs with small head groups do not. Electron and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (EM and TIRF) reveal that treatment with lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI) with the fatty acyl group C18:0 leads to reduced numbers of invaginated clathrin-coated pits (CCPs) at the plasma membrane, fewer endocytic events per membrane area and increased lifetime of CCPs. Also, endocytosis of Tf becomes dependent on actin upon LPI treatment. Thus, our results demonstrate that one can regulate the kinetics and properties of clathrin-dependent endocytosis by addition of LPLs in a head group size- and fatty acyl-dependent manner. Furthermore, studies performed with optical tweezers show that less force is required to pull membrane tubules outwards from the plasma membrane when LPI is added to the cells. The results are in agreement with the notion that insertion of LPLs with large head groups creates a positive membrane curvature which might have a negative impact on events that require plasma membrane invagination, while it may facilitate membrane bending toward the cell exterior.

Balancing the intermolecular forces in peptide amphiphiles for controlling self-assembly transitions.

While the influence of alkyl chain length and headgroup size on self-assembly behaviour has been well-established for simple surfactants, the rational control over the pH- and concentration-dependent self-assembly behaviour in stimuli responsive peptides remains an elusive goal. Here, we show that different amphiphilic peptides can have similar self-assembly phase diagrams, providing the relative strengths of the attractive and repulsive forces are balanced. Using palmitoyl-YYAAEEEEK(DO3A:Gd)-NH2 and palmitoyl-YAAEEEEK(DO3A:Gd)-NH2 as controls, we show that reducing hydrophobic attractive forces through fewer methylene groups in the alkyl chain will lead to a similar self-assembly phase diagram as increasing the electrostatic repulsive forces via the addition of a glutamic acid residue. These changes allow creation of self-assembled MRI vehicles with slightly different micelle and nanofiber diameters but with minimal changes in the spin-lattice T1 relaxivity. These findings reveal a powerful strategy to design self-assembled vehicles with different sizes but with similar self-assembly profiles.

Surfactants adsorption on crossing stripes and steps.

Using coarse-grained dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations, we systematically study the effect of surface heterogeneity on surfactant adsorption. Here we investigate the adsorption and aggregation of surfactants on hydrophobic stripes crossing each other perpendicularly (i.e., crossing stripes) and on hydrophobic steps. The results are compared with those obtained for isolated stripes. We find that on crossing stripes of moderate stripe widths (e.g., L = 0.61LS, 1.22LS and 1.83LS, where LS is the length of one surfactant molecule) the crossing region hinders the formation of defect-free adsorbed surfactant structures. By increasing the stripe width and/or by increasing the length of one of the two perpendicularly crossing stripes (i.e., lowering the surface density of defects/intersections), the crossing region is found to have a weaker effect on the features of the adsorbed structures. Regarding surfactant adsorption on steps, our simulation results show that the self-assembled aggregates can be stretched along the step corner, and the resultant elastic deformation can hinder adsorption. This qualitative observation can facilitate a description of surfactant adsorption that takes into consideration also the deformation of the self-assembled film. As suggested by such a general model, increasing the convex angle of the step, increasing the size of the surfactant head groups, and changing other physical parameters can reduce the elastic energy penalty, and yield larger amounts of surfactants adsorbed. The results presented could assist in understanding and sometimes predicting surfactant adsorption on heterogeneous surfaces, suggest methods to formulate surfactant mixtures to control surface coverage on heterogeneous surfaces, and perhaps facilitate new methods for the fabrication of nano-structured surfaces.

Binding of cationic model peptides (KX)4K to anionic lipid bilayers: Lipid headgroup size influences secondary structure of bound peptides

Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transformed Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy were used to test the influence of acyl chain length, acyl chain saturation, and chemical structure of anionic phospholipids on the interaction with cationic model peptides (KX)4K, with amino acid X=A, Abu, and L. The lipids used were phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidic acid (PA), and cardiolipin (CL). DSC was used to monitor the phase transition of lipid vesicles before and after peptide binding. The electrostatic attraction is the main driving force for binding. The hydrophobicity of the amino acid X influences the binding strength as well as the secondary structure of the bound peptide. Binding of peptides leads to an upshift of the lipid phase transition. Lipids with smaller headgroups show a larger upshift of the main phase transition temperature.Data from FT-IR spectroscopy show in addition that the stability of the bound β-sheets of (KX)4K depends on the hydrophobicity of the uncharged amino acid X and on the size of the lipid headgroup. For lipids with large anionic headgroups, such as PS, the antiparallel β-sheet of (KAbu)4K bound to gel phase bilayers is converted to an unordered structure upon heating through the lipid phase transition. Reducing the size of the headgroup, as in PG, increases the stability of the bound peptide β-sheets. For the smallest headgroups, present in PA and CL, stably bound β-sheets are observed even above the lipid phase transition.

Structural Properties of Phospholipid-based Bilayers with Long-Chain Alcohol Molecules in the Gel Phase.

The structural properties of two-component gel-phase bilayers of distearylphosphatidylcholine (DSPC) and alcohol molecules with different compositions and chain lengths (12-24 carbons long) are studied via molecular dynamics simulations. Several bilayer properties, including area per lipid, tilt angle, chain interdigitation, and headgroup offset, are studied for each system and compared, revealing important structural implications depending upon headgroup size and chain length. While tail tilt is the primary mechanism for single-component bilayers to balance tail attraction and headgroup repulsion, our results demonstrate that the lipid mixtures studied adjust this balance via an offset between the depths of the different molecular species in the bilayer; this behavior is found to depend both on composition and on the length of alcohol molecules relative to the length of DSPC tails. It is shown that the structural properties of bilayers with asymmetric tail lengths depend strongly on the bilayer composition, while the composition has less influence on mixed-component bilayers with nearly symmetric tail lengths. These findings are explained on the basis of the interdigitation between bilayer leaflets and how interdigitation is related to other structural properties.

Structural and Functional Basis for Lipid Synergy on the Activity of the Antibacterial Peptide ABC Transporter McjD

The lipid bilayer is a dynamic environment that consists of a mixture of lipids with different properties that regulate the function of membrane proteins; these lipids are either annular, masking the protein hydrophobic surface, or specific lipids, essential for protein function. In this study, using tandem mass spectrometry, we have identified specific lipids associated with the Escherichia coli ABC transporter McjD, which translocates the antibacterial peptide MccJ25. Using non-denaturing mass spectrometry, we show that McjD in complex with MccJ25 survives the gas phase. Partial delipidation of McjD resulted in reduced ATPase activity and thermostability as shown by circular dichroism, both of which could be restored upon addition of defined E. coli lipids. We have resolved a phosphatidylglycerol lipid associated with McjD at 3.4 Å resolution, whereas molecular dynamic simulations carried out in different lipid environments assessed the binding of specific lipids to McjD. Combined, our data show a synergistic effect of zwitterionic and negatively charged lipids on the activity of McjD; the zwitterionic lipids provide structural stability to McjD, whereas the negatively charged lipids are essential for its function.

Influence of Amine-Based Cationic Gemini Surfactants on Catalytic Activity of α-Chymotrypsin

The α-chymotrypsin activity was tested in aqueous media with the presence of novel cationic amine–based gemini surfactant, with different spacer chain lengths and head group size, and also compared with the cationic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and cetyltriphenylphosphonium bromide (CTPB) surfactants and aqueous buffer only. The p-nitrophenyl acetate (PNPA) hydrolysis rate was monitored in the presence of the surfactant concentration at 30°C. Most of these gemini surfactants gave higher catalytic activity as compared to cationic CTAB and CTPB. The highest superactivity was measured in the presence of gemini 16-12-16, [dodecanediyl-1,12-bis(cetyldimethylammonium bromide)] surfactant at pH 7.5. The catalytic reaction follows the Michaelis–Menten mechanism. The catalytic rate constants, kcat, show the same profile that the catalytic affinity; KM being enhanced with increasing space chain length. The results are favorable for considering that the amine-based gemini surfactant influences more than both the aqueous and cationic micellar media.

Self-Assembly and Drug Release Capacities of Organogels via Some Amide Compounds with Aromatic Substituent Headgroups.

In this work, some amide compounds with different aromatic substituent headgroups were synthesized and their gelation self-assembly behaviors in 22 solvents were characterized as new gelators. The obtained results indicated that the size of aromatic substituent headgroups in molecular skeletons in gelators showed crucial effect in the gel formation and self-assembly behavior of all compounds in the solvents used. Larger aromatic headgroups in molecular structures in the synthesized gelator molecules are helpful to form various gel nanostructures. Morphological investigations showed that the gelator molecules can self-assembly and stack into various organized aggregates with solvent change, such as wrinkle, belt, rod, and lamella-like structures. Spectral characterizations suggested that there existed various weak interactions including π-π stacking, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic forces due to aromatic substituent headgroups and alkyl substituent chains in molecular structures. In addition, the drug release capacities experiments demonstrated that the drug release rate in present obtained gels can be tuned by adjusting the concentrations of dye. The present work would open up enormous insight to design and investigate new kind of soft materials with designed molecular structures and tunable drug release performance.

Viscoelasticity Enhancement of Surfactant Solutions Depends on Molecular Conformation: Influence of Surfactant Headgroup Structure and Its Counterion.

During the anisotropic growth from globular to wormlike micelles, the basic interactions among distinct parts of the surfactant monomer, its counterion, and additives are fundamental to tune molecular self-assembly. We investigate the addition of sodium salicylate (NaSal) to hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride and bromide (CTAC and CTAB), 1-hexadecylpyridinium chloride and bromide (CPyCl and CPyBr), and benzyldimethylhexadecylammonium chloride (BDMC), which have the same hydrophobic tail. Their potential to enhance viscoelasticity by anisotropic micellar growth upon salt addition was compared in terms of (i) the influence of the headgroup structure, and (ii) the influence of surfactant counterion type. Employing proton nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H NMR), we focused on the molecular conformation of surfactant monomers in the core and polar shell regions of the micelles and their interactions with increasing concentration of NaSal. The viscoelastic response was investigated by rotational and oscillatory rheology. We show that micellar growth rates can be tuned by varying the flexibility and size of the surfactant headgroup as well as the dissociation degree of the surfactant counterion, which directly influences the strength of headgroup-counterion pairing. As a consequence, the morphological transitions depend directly on charge neutralization by electrostatic screening. For example, the amount of salt necessary to start the rodlike-to-wormlike micelle growth depends directly on the number of dissociated counterions in the polar shell.

Sizing up the Lipid Pathway in a TMEM16 Phospholipid Scramblase

Phospholipid scramblases collapse the plasma membrane lipid asymmetry, externalizing phosphatidylserine to trigger blood coagulation and mark apoptotic cells. Recently, members of the TMEM16 family were shown to function as Ca2+-dependent phospholipid scramblases as well as ion channels in cells and in reconstituted systems. The recent crystal structure of nhTMEM16 identified a hydrophilic groove, ∼11 A wide, exposed to the hydrophobic core of the membrane as the putative lipid pathway. It was proposed that lipid scrambling occurs via phospholipid headgroup-groove interactions. To test this mechanism and to gain insights into the properties of the lipid pathway we investigated whether there is a headgroup size cut-off. We generated NBD-labelled phospholipids with PEG molecules of increasing size (PEG1000-5000) attached to the headgroup and monitored scrambling by afTMEM16. We found that increasing the headgroup size up to PEG2000 (diameter ∼40 A) does not alter scrambling in high Ca2+, and even lipids conjugated to PEG5000 (diameter ∼50 A) are scrambled albeit less well. This suggests that the cut off is considerably larger than the width of the cavity. In the absence of Ca2+ TMEM16 scramblases show substantial activity. We found that the selectivity of the apo state differs from that of the bound state as they have different headgroup size selectivity: lipids conjugated with PEG2000 are poorly scrambled and PEG5000 is completely excluded. This is consistent with the idea that the activity in the apo state reflects an incomplete closure of the lipid pathway, which is narrower than in the Ca2+ bound state by ∼10 A. Taken together these results suggest that interactions between the groove and the lipid headgroup do not play a key role in scrambling or, alternatively, that in a membrane environment the cavity could be substantially wider than in the structure.

N-RAS Lipid Anchor Adsorption to Membranes as a Function of Lipid Composition and Curvature

Protein recruitment to biological membranes is motivated by either highly selective recognition of specific target membrane components or non-specific attraction to general physical properties of the membrane, such as charge, lipid heterogeneity, and curvature. Here we discuss the interaction between lipid-anchored proteins and lipid membranes from a comprehensive examination of how features of the membrane and its lipid constituents, including lipid head-group size, composition, heterogeneity, membrane thickness, degree of unsaturation, and membrane geometry, effect the adsorption ability of the proteins. Of key importance is the strong interconnection among these compositional and morphological elements in mediating the binding of peripheral membrane proteins. As a model protein, we use the dual lipidated (palmitoyl and farnesyl) anchoring motif of the signaling GTPase N-Ras (tN-Ras). We find marked augmentation in tN-Ras adsorption with increasing degree of membrane curvature—a trend that is tightly regulated by the bilayer characteristics mentioned above. Experimental results are fully reproduced by a molecular level theoretical model of the systems under study. Of note, the theory suggests an explicit dependence on the lateral pressure profile of the membrane's hydrophobic region to be the mechanism and cause of variation in protein density with membrane curvature and composition. Relief in the lateral pressure of the bilayer's outer leaf, upon its expansion induced by increasing curvature, reduces the work requirement for lipid-anchor insertion into the membrane. Furthermore, the inherent pressure profile of the hydrophobic channel, at a given curvature, is unique with regard to membrane composition, which allows for fine-tuning of lipidated-protein density.

Mechanisms of Ion and Lipid Transport by TMEM16 Scramblases

Phospholipid scramblases collapse the plasma membrane lipid asymmetry, externalizing phosphatidylserine to trigger blood coagulation and mark apoptotic cells. Several groups showed that some TMEM16 homologues are Ca2+-dependent ion channels and/or phospholipid scramblases. The recent crystal structure of nhTMEM16 showed a possible location for the lipid pathway as each monomer exposes a hydrophilic groove (∼10 Å) to the membrane core. It was thus proposed that that during scrambling the lipid headgroups interact with the groove while the acyl chains remain in contact with the membrane's core and that ions and lipids share a common pathway. To test these hypotheses we investigated how mutants located in the groove affect scrambling and ion transport and how increasing the headgroup size of the scrambled lipids affects transport. We identified several residues lining the groove that are important for scrambling but have minimal effects on ion transport, suggesting that the two functions are not tightly coupled. Interestingly, the identified residues primarily affect scrambling in the absence of Ca2+ with lesser effects in high Ca2+, suggesting that the lipid-pathway interactions are Ca2+-dependent. We then generated NBD-labelled phospholipids with headgroups conjugated to PEG molecules as large as 5 kDa, with diameters up to 40 Å. We found that in the presence of Ca2+ all tested lipids are scrambled, despite having headgroups several fold larger than the groove. In contrast, in 0 Ca2+ lipids conjugated to PEG 2 kDa are poorly scrambled and those conjugated to PEG 5 kDa are excluded. Taken together our results suggest that the lipid pathway is narrower than in the Ca2+ bound state and that in a membrane environment the cavity could be substantially wider than seen in the structure.

Molecular Modeling of the Lamellar to Inverse Hexagonal Phase Transition in Dope-Dopc Lipid Systems

In the proper physiological state, myelin sheaths consist of tightly packed lipids and proteins and insulate neurons in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. However, defective myelin sheaths in multiple sclerosis (MS), and other demyelinating diseases, ultimately cause vesiculation of the lipids contained in the sheaths. Increasing the proportion of phosphatidylethanolamine in myelin was shown experimentally to cause structural instabilities due to an abnormal packing structure. The unstable form favors inverted hexagonal phases as a result of lipid headgroup size and geometry, whereas normal myelin composition favors a smooth lamellar phase. Through a molecular mean field theory approach, we produce phase diagrams of lipid systems with varying concentrations of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine to capture the transitions between inverted hexagonal and lamellar phases. Analyzing structural instabilities in myelin sheaths may provide us with a clearer understanding of multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases.

Mixed Layers of Nonionic Dendritic Amphiphiles and DPPC at the Water Surface.

Nonionic dendritic amphiphiles that self-assemble into defined supramolecular aggregates are useful for the efficient solubilization of active agents, for example, in drug delivery. We investigated a new class of dendritic amphiphiles based on a hydrophilic polyol dendron head connected to a two-chain hydrophobic block. In analogy to phospholipids, these molecules form well-organized layers in bulk (vesicles) or at the water surface (Langmuir monolayer). The actual study focuses on the phase behavior and microscopic structure of mixed Langmuir layers of theses dendritic amphiphiles with the well-known phospholipid DPPC. The combination of surface pressure area isotherms with X-ray grazing incident diffraction and Brewster angle microscopy gives us information on the phase behavior of the mixed monolayers and the orientation of the amphiphiles inside the condensed domains with molecular resolution. We could prove that the dendritic generation and, by this, the headgroup size of the amphiphilic molecules have a significant influence on their interaction with DPPC at the air-water interface. Thus, our findings are important for the understanding of mixed lipid membranes in general as well as for the preparation of artificial membranes and vesicles with adjustable properties, e.g., their drug delivery potential.

Phase Transition of Glycolipid Membranes Studied by Coarse-Grained Simulations.

Glycolipids are important components of biological membranes. High concentrations of glycolipids are particularly found in lipid rafts, which take part in many physiological phenomena. This different partitioning and interaction pattern of glycolipids in the membrane as compared to those of phospholipids are likely due to their different chemical structures: the polar regions of glycosphingolipids can be even larger than for their hydrophobic moieties, giving rise to a rich conformational landscape. Here we study the influence of glycosphingolipids galactosylceramide (GCER) and monosialotetrahexosylganglioside (GM1) on the structural and thermodynamic properties of a phospholipid (DPPC) bilayer. Using the method of coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulation we show that both glycolipids increase the phase-transition temperature of phospholipid membranes and that the extent of this increase depends on the headgroup size and structure. GM1 shows a strong tendency to form mixed clusters with phospholipids, thereby stabilizing the membrane. In contrast, GCER is dispersed in the membrane. By occupying the interstitial space between phospholipids it causes a tighter packing of the lipids in the membrane.