Solubilization and localization of weakly polar lipids in unsonicated egg phosphatidylcholine: A 13C MAS NMR study

The weakly polar lipids cholesteryl ester, triacylglycerol, and diacylglycerol incorporate to a limited extent into the lamellar structure of small unilamellar vesicles. The localization of the carbonyl group(s) at the aqueous interface was detected by [13C]carbonyl chemical shift changes relative to the neat unhydrated lipid [Hamilton, J.A., & Small, D.M. (1981) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 78, 6878-6882; Hamilton, J.A., & Small, D.M. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 7318-7321; Hamilton, J.A., Bhamidipati, S.B., Kodali, D.R., & Small, D.M. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 1177-1186]. This study uses 13C NMR to investigate the interactions of these lipids with unsonicated (multilamellar) phosphatidylcholine, a model system for cellular membranes and surfaces of emulsion particles with low curvature. Magic angle spinning reduced the broad lines of the unsonicated dispersions to narrow lines comparable to those from sonicated dispersions. [13C]Carbonyl chemical shifts revealed incorporation of the three lipids into the lamellar structure of the unsonicated phospholipids and a partial hydration of the carbonyl groups similar to that observed in small vesicles. Other properties of interfacial weakly polar lipids in multilayers were similar to those in small unilamellar bilayers. There is thus a general tendency of weakly polar lipids to incorporate at least to a small extent into the lamellar structure of phospholipids and take on interfacial properties that are distinct from their bulk-phase properties. This pool of surface-located lipid is likely to be directly involved in enzymatic transformations and protein-mediated transport. The 13C magic angle spinning NMR method may be generally useful for determining the orientation of molecules in model membranes.