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A new monofluorinated phosphatidylcholine forms interdigitated bilayers
D J Hirsh1, N Lazaro, L R Wright
1Department of Chemistry, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA.
Biophysical Journal
|September 24, 1998
Summary
Introducing a novel fluorinated phospholipid, F-DPPC, which exhibits a higher phase transition temperature and forms interdigitated bilayers spontaneously. This discovery offers new insights into lipid bilayer formation and dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Lipid Chemistry
- Biophysical Chemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) is a common phospholipid model.
- Understanding lipid bilayer formation is crucial for biological and material applications.
- Fluorinated analogs can alter phospholipid properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize a novel fluorinated phospholipid, F-DPPC.
- To investigate the structural and thermal properties of F-DPPC bilayers.
- To explore the spontaneous formation of interdigitated bilayers.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of 16-Fluoropalmitic acid and F-DPPC.
- Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Infrared Spectroscopy.
- Solid-state NMR (REDOR), Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR), and X-ray scattering.
Main Results:
- F-DPPC exhibits a phase transition temperature (Tm) ~10°C higher than DPPC.
- The pretransition observed in DPPC is absent in F-DPPC.
- F-DPPC spontaneously forms fully interdigitated bilayers in the gel phase, with restricted chain mobility.
Conclusions:
- F-DPPC is the first phosphoglyceride with equal-length acyl chains to spontaneously form interdigitated bilayers.
- Fluorination significantly impacts lipid packing and phase behavior.
- This provides a new model system for studying interdigitated lipid bilayers without inducing agents.