A theoretical model of the temperature- and pressure-induced phase transition of phospholipid bilayers

A statistical thermodynamic model of phospholipid bilayers is developed. In the model, a new concept of a closely packed system is applied, i.e., a system of hard cylinders of equal radii, the radius being a function of the average number of gauche rotations in a hydrocarbon chain. Using this concept of a closely packed system, reasonable values are obtained for the change in specific volume at the order-disorder transition of lecithin bilayers. In addition to interactions between the lipid matrix and water molecules, between the head groups, themselves and between hydrocarbon chains, as well as the intramolecular energy associated with chain conformation, the Hamiltonian of the membrane also includes the energy of the pressure field. Thus, the phase transition of phospholipid membranes induced not only by temperature but also by hydrostatic pressure is described by this model simultaneously. In accordance with the experimental results, a linear relationship is obtained between the phase transition temperature and phase transition pressure. The other calculated phase transition properties of lecithin homologues, e.g., changes in enthalpy, surface area, thickness and gauche number per chain are in agreement with the available experimental data. The ratio of kink to interstitial conduction of bilayers is also estimated.