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Related Concept Videos

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%...
Membrane Fluidity01:23

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...
Membrane Fluidity01:26

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
The mosaic characteristic of the membrane helps the plasma membrane remain fluid. The integral proteins and lipids exist as separate but loosely-attached molecules in the membrane. The membrane is a relatively...
Fluid Mosaic Model01:19

Fluid Mosaic Model

Scientists identified the plasma membrane in the 1890s and its principal chemical components (lipids and proteins) by 1915. The model for plasma membrane structure, proposed in 1935 by Hugh Davson and James Danielli, was the first model to be widely accepted in the scientific community. The model was based on the plasma membrane's "railroad track" appearance in early electron micrographs. Davson and Danielli theorized that the plasma membrane's structure resembled a sandwich with the analogy of...
Mechanisms of Membrane-bending01:15

Mechanisms of Membrane-bending

The living membranes are flexible due to their fluid mosaic nature; however, their bending into different shapes is an active process regulated by specific lipids and proteins. The membrane bending can be transient as seen in vesicles or stable for a long time as in microvilli. Cells regulate the size, location, and duration of the membrane curvature.
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Potential Due to a Polarized Object01:29

Potential Due to a Polarized Object

A neutral atom consists of a positively charged nucleus surrounded by a negatively charged electron cloud. When placed in an external electric field, the external electric force pulls the electrons and nucleus apart, opposite to the intrinsic attraction between the nucleus and the electrons. The opposing forces balance each other with a slight shift between the center of masses of the nucleus and the electron cloud, resulting in a polarized atom. On the other hand, a few molecules, like water,...

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Realistic Membrane Modeling Using Complex Lipid Mixtures in Simulation Studies
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Published on: September 1, 2023

Cholesterol orientation and tilt modulus in DMPC bilayers.

George Khelashvili1, Georg Pabst, Daniel Harries

  • 1Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York, USA. gek2009@med.cornell.edu

The Journal of Physical Chemistry. B
|June 4, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cholesterol

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Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Computational Chemistry

Background:

  • Cholesterol is a vital component of animal cell membranes.
  • Its precise role in membrane organization and dynamics is still under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of cholesterol concentration on its orientation within lipid bilayers.
  • To explore the relationship between cholesterol tilt and phospholipid membrane organization.

Main Methods:

  • Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were employed.
  • Simulations included hydrated bilayers with mixtures of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and cholesterol at varying ratios.

Main Results:

  • Cholesterol molecules were observed to transiently orient perpendicular to the bilayer normal.
  • Increased cholesterol concentration (1-40%) correlated with changes in cholesterol orientation and membrane thickness.
  • Cholesterol orientation is influenced by aligning forces from neighboring cholesterol molecules.

Conclusions:

  • Cholesterol tilt is a significant factor in inducing membrane ordering.
  • The cholesterol tilt modulus (chi) provides a quantitative measure of cholesterol-cholesterol interactions in bilayers.
  • This parameter is valuable for describing cholesterol's behavior in various lipid environments and force fields.