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Membrane Fluidity

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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.
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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...
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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%...
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The fluid mosaic model was first proposed as a visual representation of research observations. The model comprises the composition and dynamics of membranes and serves as a foundation for future membrane-related studies. The model depicts the structure of the plasma membrane with a variety of components, which include phospholipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. These integral molecules are loosely bound, defining the cell’s border and providing fluidity for optimal function.
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Lipids function as structural components of cellular membranes, in addition to acting as energy reservoirs and signaling molecules. They are thus crucial to all living organisms.  The three biologically important classes of lipids are triglycerides, phospholipids, and steroids.
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Cholesterol Changes Interfacial Water Alignment in Model Cell Membranes.

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Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Membrane biophysics
  • Interfacial water structure

Background:

  • Biological membranes rely on interfacial water for structure and function.
  • Cholesterol is vital for cell membranes, but its effect on water hydration is unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate cholesterol's impact on interfacial water structure.
  • Examine how cholesterol affects lipid hydration in model membranes.

Main Methods:

  • Surface-specific vibrational sum-frequency generation spectroscopy.
  • Studied lipid monolayers of DPPC, DOPC, and SM with and without cholesterol.

Main Results:

  • Cholesterol intercalates in unsaturated DOPC without altering lipid tail or water orientation.
  • Cholesterol enhances packing of saturated DPPC and SM lipid tails.
  • Cholesterol increases the ordering of water hydrating lipid headgroups for DPPC and SM.

Conclusions:

  • Cholesterol's effect on interfacial water depends on lipid saturation.
  • Altered water orientation impacts membrane dipole potential and biomolecular interactions.
  • Provides insight into domain-selective cellular processes like protein binding.