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Relationship between the unbinding and main transition temperatures of phospholipid bilayers under pressure
T A Harroun1, M-P Nieh, M J Watson
1National Research Council, Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences, Chalk River, Ontario, Canada K0J 1J0.
Abstract:
Using neutron diffraction and a specially constructed high pressure cell suitable for aligned multibilayer systems, we have studied, as a function of pressure, the much observed anomalous swelling regime in dimyristoyl- and dilauroyl-phosphatidylcholine bilayers, DMPC and DLPC, respectively. We have also reanalyzed data from a number of previously published experiments and have arrived at the following conclusions. (a). The power law behavior describing anomalous swelling is preserved in all PC bilayers up to a hydrostatic pressure of 240 MPa. (b). As a function of increasing pressure there is a concomitant decrease in the anomalous swelling of DMPC bilayers. (c). For PC lipids with hydrocarbon chains >or=13 carbons the theoretical unbinding transition temperature T small star, filled is coupled to the main gel-to-liquid crystalline transition temperature T(M). (d). DLPC is intrinsically different from the other lipids studied in that its T small star, filled is not coupled to T(M). (e). For DLPC bilayers we predict a hydrostatic pressure (>290 MPa) where unbinding may occur.
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