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Related Experiment Videos

Distorted hexagonal phase studied by neutron diffraction: lipid components demixed in a bent monolayer.

Lai Ding1, Thomas M Weiss, Giovanna Fragneto

  • 1Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, TX 77251, USA.

Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|December 29, 2004
PubMed
Summary

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Lipid mixtures demix when forming a bent monolayer. In a distorted hexagonal phase, 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) preferentially distributes to regions of highest curvature, demonstrating lipid demixing in bent lipid monolayers.

Area of Science:

  • Membrane biophysics
  • Lipid self-assembly
  • Soft matter physics

Background:

  • Lipid mixtures can form various phases, including lamellar and hexagonal structures.
  • The behavior of lipid mixtures in curved membrane geometries is not fully understood.
  • A distorted hexagonal phase in 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylethanolamine/1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DOPE/DOPC) mixtures prompted investigation into lipid distribution.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate lipid distribution within the distorted hexagonal phase of DOPE/DOPC mixtures.
  • To determine if lipid components demix in a bent monolayer.
  • To understand the relationship between lipid composition and membrane curvature.

Main Methods:

  • Neutron diffraction was employed on a mixture of deuterated 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DOPC-d(13)) and nondeuterated 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Lipid mixtures were studied across different hydration levels, inducing transitions from lamellar to hexagonal phases.
  • Neutron scattering length density distributions were calculated by varying D(2)O/H(2)O ratios to solve the phase problem.

    • Main Results:

    • Lipid mixtures transitioned from lamellar to rhombohedral, then distorted inverted hexagonal, and finally regular inverted hexagonal phases upon dehydration.
    • The distorted hexagonal phase exhibited a two-dimensional monoclinic lattice.
    • Analysis of neutron scattering density revealed non-uniform lipid distribution, with DOPE concentrating in high-curvature regions.

    Conclusions:

    • Lipid components partially demix in bent monolayers to minimize free energy.
    • DOPE preferentially localizes to the vertex regions of the distorted hexagonal phase, where curvature is maximal.
    • This study provides the first direct evidence of lipid demixing in response to monolayer bending.