Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Steric repulsion between phosphatidylcholine bilayers.

T J McIntosh1, A D Magid, S A Simon

  • 1Department of Anatomy, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710.

Biochemistry
|November 17, 1987
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Multisensory Processing of Gustatory Stimuli.

Chemosensory perception·2015
Same author

Gustatory and reward brain circuits in the control of food intake.

Advances and technical standards in neurosurgery·2011
Same author

Compounds from Sichuan and Melegueta peppers activate, covalently and non-covalently, TRPA1 and TRPV1 channels.

British journal of pharmacology·2009
Same author

The gustatory cortex and multisensory integration.

International journal of obesity (2005)·2009
Same author

Evaluation of human fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) C-terminal and intact enzyme-linked immunosorbent-assays in end-stage renal disease patients.

Clinical laboratory·2009
Same author

X-Ray Diffraction Studies of the Cholera Toxin receptor, G(M1).

Biophysical journal·2009
Same journal

Structural and Functional Characterization of Heterologous Nitrogenase Complexes.

Biochemistry·2026
Same journal

Discovery of Bacterial Unspecific Peroxygenases.

Biochemistry·2026
Same journal

Lactate Biology: Subcellular Routing and Chemical Form Define Function.

Biochemistry·2026
Same journal

Nature's Anaerobic Toolkit: Glycyl Radical Enzymes and Their Expanding Functional and Mechanistic Diversity.

Biochemistry·2026
Same journal

Structural Bases for the Unconventional Activity of a Viroporin Channel.

Biochemistry·2026
Same journal

Targeting the WASF3 Regulatory Complex in Pancreatic Cancer Using Stapled Peptides.

Biochemistry·2026
See all related articles

Steric repulsion between mobile lipid head groups, not dehydration, causes bilayers to resist close contact. This interaction limits head group movement, impacting bilayer spacing and energy.

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Physical Chemistry
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Understanding interbilayer forces is crucial for lipid self-assembly and membrane function.
  • Egg phosphatidylcholine bilayers are common model systems for biological membranes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the forces governing the close approach of egg phosphatidylcholine bilayers.
  • To differentiate between steric and hydration forces in confining lipid bilayers.

Main Methods:

  • Measured pressure-distance relationships for bilayers in excess water.
  • Analyzed pressure-water content relationships.
  • Utilized electron density profiles to determine bilayer structure.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

  • A distinct pressure increase (break) was observed at ~5 A interbilayer separation.
  • This break correlated with bilayer separation, not water content, indicating steric effects.
  • Steric repulsion arises from mobile lipid head groups extending into the interbilayer space.

Conclusions:

  • Steric repulsion, driven by head group configuration, is a significant factor in bilayer interactions.
  • The observed steric interaction limits head group mobility and contributes to repulsive energy.
  • Hydration forces alone do not explain the observed resistance to close bilayer contact.