Work

Molecular structure of the lecithin ripple phase

Year: 2005

Type: article

Abstract: Molecular dynamics simulations of lecithin lipid bilayers in water as they are cooled from the liquid crystalline phase show the spontaneous formation of rippled bilayers. The ripple consists of two domains of different length and orientation, connected by a kink. The organization of the lipids in one domain of the ripple is found to be that of a splayed gel; in the other domain the lipids are gel-like and fully interdigitated. In the concave part of the kink region between the domains the lipids are disordered. The results are consistent with the experimental information available and provide an atomic-level model that may be tested by further experiments.

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0408249102

Authors: Alex H. de Vries, Serge Yefimov, Alan E. Mark, Siewert J. Marrink

Institution: University of Groningen

Language: English

Topic: Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek

Award: Modelling the Self-Organization of Cell Membrane Components