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Updated: Feb 27, 2026

Enrichment of Mammalian Tissues and Xenopus Oocytes with Cholesterol
Published on: March 25, 2020
Predicted Decrease in Membrane Oxygen Permeability with Addition of Cholesterol
Gary Angles1, Rachel Dotson1, Kristina Bueche1
1Department of Chemistry, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (New Mexico Tech), 801 Leroy Place, Socorro, NM, 87801, USA.
Abstract:
Aberrations in cholesterol homeostasis are associated with several diseases that can be linked to changes in cellular oxygen usage. Prior biological and physical studies have suggested that membrane cholesterol content can modulate oxygen delivery, but questions of magnitude and biological significance remain open for further investigation. Here, we use molecular dynamics simulations in a first step toward reexamining the rate impact of cholesterol on the permeation of oxygen through phospholipid bilayers. The simulation models are closely compared with published electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) oximetry measurements. The simulations predict an oxygen permeability reduction due to cholesterol but also suggest that the EPR experiments may have underestimated resistance to oxygen permeation in the phospholipid headgroup region.
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