Mechano-asymmetry of lipid membranes: lipid molecular asymmetry revealed from high-pressure study

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26410016
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Physical chemistry
• Research Institution: The University of Tokushima
• Principal Investigator: Matsuki Hitoshi 徳島大学, 大学院生物資源産業学研究部, 教授 (40229448)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 脂質膜 / 高圧力 / 相転移 / 指組み構造 / 非対称脂質 / ホスファチジルコリン / メカノアシンメトリー / 膜内イメージング

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To reveal the mechanical asymmetry of phosphatidylcholine (PC) bilayer membranes, bilayer phase behavior of saturated asymmetric phosphatidylcholines, 1-myristoyl-2-stearoyl-PC (MSPC) and its positional isomer 1-stearoyl-2-myristoyl-PC (SMPC), was investigated by methods of differential scanning calorimetry under atmospheric pressure and light transmittance and fluorescence measurements under high pressure. We proved that the stability of each phase of both asymmetric PC bilayer membranes, namely hydrated crystal phase, lamellar gel phase, ripple gel phase, and interdigitated gel phase, markedly changes depending on the mismatch at terminal methyl ends between the sn-1 and sn-2 acyl chains, and that the introduction of asymmetric chains to a PC molecule significantly affects the membrane states of the PC bilayer membranes.

Free Research Field

生物物理化学