bi048258f_si_001.pdf (192.78 kB)
Transbilayer Complementarity of Phospholipids in Cholesterol-Rich Membranes
journal contribution
posted on 2005-03-08, 00:00 authored by Jianbing Zhang, Bingwen Jing, Nobuya Tokutake, Steven L. RegenLipid−lipid interactions across cholesterol-rich phospholipid bilayers were investigated by
measuring nearest-neighbor preferences of exchangeable phospholipids derived from 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DMPE) and 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DSPE),
in the presence of nonexchangeable dimers (i.e., templates) made from DMPE or DSPE. When
homotemplates were present, a significant preference for homophospholipid association was observed. In
contrast, when the corresponding heterotemplate was present, heterodimer formation was favored. These
results support a model in which the longer phospholipid in one monolayer preferentially associates with
the shorter one in the adjoining monolayer. In the absence of cholesterol, transbilayer complementarity
was also observed but to a lesser degree. Transbilayer complementarity of phospholipids is likely to play
an important role in stabilizing biological membranes and in promoting a compositional interdependence
of their two lipid leaflets.