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Related Concept Videos

Synthesis of Phosphatidylcholine in the ER Membrane01:27

Synthesis of Phosphatidylcholine in the ER Membrane

The ER synthesizes lipids for building cell membranes and performing cellular functions such as energy storage and signaling. The lipid synthesis machinery embedded in the ER membrane primarily collects all reactants from the cytosol. Following synthesis, the secretory pathway and the ER contact sites distribute these lipids to other cellular organelles. Additionally, the energy-rich triacylglycerides are transported from the ER via lipid droplets.
The major components of all eukaryotic cell...
Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer01:35

Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer

Biological membranes show uneven distribution of different types of lipids in the inner and outer layers, resulting in transverse asymmetric membranes. The treatment of the erythrocyte membrane with the enzyme phospholipase confirmed the asymmetric nature of the lipid bilayer. The enzyme hydrolyzes lipids into fatty acids and hydrophilic groups. The phospholipase acts only on the outer layer of the membrane, while the inner layer remains intact. The phospholipase treatment resulted in 80%...
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Phase Diagrams of Ternary Systems

Consider a ternary system, which is composed of three components: water (W), ethanoic acid (E), and trichloromethane (T). Here, Ethanoic acid (E) is fully miscible with both water (W) and trichloromethane (T), meaning it can mix entirely with either of them. However, water and trichloromethane have partial miscibility, meaning they can only mix to a certain extent, beyond which two separate phases will form.The phase diagram of a ternary system is represented as an equilateral triangle, where...
Overview of Fatty Acid Metabolism01:28

Overview of Fatty Acid Metabolism

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Membrane Fluidity

Cell membranes are composed of phospholipids, proteins, and carbohydrates loosely attached to one another through chemical interactions. Molecules are generally able to move about in the plane of the membrane, giving the membrane its flexible nature called fluidity. Two other features of the membrane contribute to membrane fluidity: the chemical structure of the phospholipids and the presence of cholesterol in the membrane.Fatty acids tails of phospholipids can be either saturated or...
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Membrane Fluidity

Membrane fluidity is explained by the fluid mosaic model of the cell membrane, which describes the plasma membrane structure as a mosaic of components—including phospholipids, cholesterol, proteins, and carbohydrates—that gives the membrane a fluid character.
Mosaic nature of the membrane
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Biomembrane Fabrication by the Solvent-assisted Lipid Bilayer (SALB) Method
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Phosphatidylcholine: cholesterol phase diagrams.

J L Thewalt1, M Bloom

  • 1Department of Physics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z1, Canada.

Biophysical Journal
|May 12, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Phosphatidylcholine (PC) and cholesterol mixtures form similar phase diagrams regardless of PC structure. This suggests a universal phase diagram applicable to biological membranes, including a distinct liquid ordered phase.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Biophysics
  • Membrane Biology

Background:

  • Phosphatidylcholine (PC) and cholesterol are key components of biological membranes.
  • The phase behavior of lipid bilayers is influenced by lipid structure and cholesterol content.
  • Previous studies have explored PC:cholesterol mixtures, but the universality of their phase diagrams remains an area of interest.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the phase behavior of phosphatidylcholine (PC):cholesterol mixtures with varying PC structures.
  • To determine if PC:cholesterol phase diagrams exhibit a universal form.
  • To characterize the properties of the observed liquid ordered phase in PC:cholesterol bilayers.

Main Methods:

  • Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to analyze phase transitions.

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  • Thermodynamic modeling of lipid-cholesterol interactions.
  • Spectroscopic techniques to probe molecular order and dynamics.

    • Main Results:

    • Two distinct mono-cis-unsaturated phosphatidylcholine (PC) molecules, despite differing phase transition temperatures, yielded similar PC:cholesterol phase diagrams.
    • These diagrams were comparable to those of saturated PC:cholesterol mixtures, supporting a universal phase diagram hypothesis.
    • A fluid, conformationally ordered 'liquid ordered' phase was observed above ~25 mol% cholesterol across a wide temperature range.

    Conclusions:

    • PC:cholesterol membrane phase diagrams appear to possess a universal form, largely independent of the specific PC molecule's chemical structure.
    • The identified liquid ordered phase is likely relevant for biological membranes rich in cholesterol.
    • This finding has implications for understanding the physical state and function of cell membranes.