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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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Biological membranes are more than just a barrier separating cell cytoplasm from the outside environment. They are highly dynamic and help maintain the integrity and physiological stability of the cells as well as membrane-bound organelles. Membranes also play vital roles in cell-to-cell and intracellular communication.
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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.
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Enzymes like flippase, floppase, and scramblase transfer phospholipids from one layer to another in the membrane, thereby affecting membrane asymmetry.
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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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The membrane domains concentrate specific lipids and proteins at one place within the membrane, which helps in cell signaling, adhesion, and other critical cellular processes. These domains can differ in size, composition, function, and lifespan.
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Updated: Jun 12, 2025

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Highly tail-asymmetric lipids interdigitate and cause bidirectional ordering.

Tugba N Ozturk1, Thomas J Ferron2, Wei He1

  • 1Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA.

Journal of Lipid Research
|April 6, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Tail-asymmetric phospholipids like XJPE significantly alter membrane properties. High concentrations induce liquid-to-gel transitions, while low concentrations have minimal effects, suggesting a role in bacterial virulence.

Keywords:
Francisella tularensislipidsmolecular dynamicsphospholipid tail asymmetryphospholipidstail asymmetry

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Area of Science:

  • Membrane biophysics
  • Lipid biochemistry
  • Bacterial pathogenesis

Background:

  • Phospholipids exhibit compositional diversity, including tail asymmetry, influencing membrane properties.
  • Francisella tularensis membranes contain highly tail-asymmetric XJPE lipids, previously linked to suppressed host inflammatory responses.
  • The molecular mechanisms by which XJPE's tail asymmetry impacts membrane properties remain largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of varying XJPE lipid ratios on simple membrane properties.
  • To elucidate the molecular-level contributions of XJPE tail asymmetry to membrane behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to analyze membrane structure.
  • Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to model lipid behavior and membrane properties.

Main Results:

  • High XJPE concentrations induce a liquid-to-gel phase transition in membranes.
  • Low XJPE concentrations minimally affect membrane properties.
  • XJPE lipids adopt distinct conformations (extended or bent-back) influencing membrane fluidity in a composition- and leaflet-dependent manner.

Conclusions:

  • XJPE's tail asymmetry induces bidirectional effects on membrane fluidity.
  • Francisella tularensis may utilize tail asymmetry for processes like vesicle fusion and host cell destabilization.
  • Further research on tail-asymmetric lipids in complex membranes is warranted to understand their regulatory roles.