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Related Experiment Videos

Farnesol-DMPC phase behaviour: a (2)H-NMR study.

Amy C Rowat1, James H Davis

  • 1MEMPHYS, Center for Biomembrane Physics, Department of Physics, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-52 30 Odense, Denmark.

Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta
|March 9, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Farnesol, a mevalonate pathway component, alters lipid membrane properties. This study shows farnesol decreases the fluid-gel phase transition temperature and promotes coexistence, without affecting acyl chain order in the fluid phase.

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Two phase coexistence in ternary mixtures of saturated and polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholines with cholesterol.

Biochimica et biophysica acta. Biomembranes·2025

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Membrane Biophysics
  • Lipid Bilayer Dynamics

Background:

  • Farnesol is a key mevalonate pathway metabolite involved in diverse cellular functions.
  • Its effects on lipid membrane physical properties and phase behavior remain incompletely understood.
  • Understanding these interactions is crucial for elucidating farnesol's role in membrane-associated events.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of trans-trans farnesol on the phase behavior of dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) lipid bilayers.
  • To quantify changes in membrane physical properties, specifically phase transition temperature and molecular order, in the presence of varying farnesol concentrations.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized deuterium Nuclear Magnetic Resonance ((2)H-NMR) spectroscopy on dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine-d(54) (DMPC-d(54)) bilayers.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Investigated systems with 2.5-20.0 mol% trans-trans farnesol across a temperature range of 8-30 degrees C.
  • Analyzed (2)H-NMR spectra to determine molecular order and membrane phase equilibrium.

    • Main Results:

    • Constructed a farnesol-DMPC-d(54) temperature-composition phase diagram.
    • Demonstrated that increasing farnesol concentrations lower the fluid-gel phase transition temperature.
    • Observed promotion of fluid-gel phase coexistence with increasing farnesol content.
    • Found no significant effect of farnesol on acyl chain order (quadrupolar splittings) in the fluid phase.

    Conclusions:

    • Farnesol significantly influences the phase behavior of DMPC bilayers, primarily by decreasing the transition temperature and inducing phase coexistence.
    • The interaction of farnesol with phospholipids does not substantially alter acyl chain order within the fluid membrane phase.
    • This study provides quantitative insights into farnesol's physical effects on lipid membranes, relevant to its biological functions.