Naphthalene Derivatives Induce Acyl Chain Interdigitation in Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine Bilayers

The interdigitated phase of the lipid bilayer results when acyl chains from opposing monolayers fully interpenetrate such that the terminal methyl groups of the respective lipid chains are located at the interfacial region on the opposite sides of the bilayer. Usually, chain interdigitation is not encountered in a symmetric chain phosphatidylcholine (PC) membrane but can be induced under certain special conditions. In this article, we elucidate the contribution of small amphiphatic molecules in altering the physical properties of a symmetric chain PC bilayer membrane, which results in acyl chain interdigitation. Using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), we have carried out a systematic investigation of the physical interactions of three naphthalene derivatives containing hydroxyl groups: β-naphthol, 2,3-dihydroxynaphthalene, and 2,7-dihydroxynaphthalene, with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) bilayers. On the basis of the diffraction patterns, we have determined the temperature-composition phase diagrams of these binary mixtures. The present study not only enables us to gain insight into the role played by small molecules in altering the packing arrangement of the acyl chains of the constituting PC lipids of the bilayer but also brings to light some important features that have not yet been reported hitherto. One such feature is the stabilization of the enigmatic asymmetric ripple phase over a wide temperature and concentration range. The results presented here strongly point toward a clear correlation between chain interdigitation and the stability of the ripple phase.