Average structural and motional properties of a diunsaturated acyl chain in a lipid bilayer: effects of two cis-unsaturated double bonds

Membrane solid-state NMR in Canada: A historical perspective

This manuscript presents an overview of more than 40years of membrane solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) research in Canada. This technique is a method of choice for the study of the structure and dynamics of lipid bilayers; bilayer interactions with a variety of molecules such as membrane peptides, membrane proteins and drugs; and to investigate membrane peptide and protein structure, dynamics, and topology. Canada has a long tradition in this field of research, starting with pioneering work on natural and model membranes in the 1970s in a context of emergence of biophysics in the country. The 1980s and 1990s saw an emphasis on studying lipid structures and dynamics, and peptide-lipid and protein-lipid interactions. The study of bicelles began in the 1990s, and in the 2000s there was a rise in the study of membrane protein structures. Novel perspectives include using dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) for membrane studies and using NMR in live cells. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Biophysics in Canada, edited by Lewis Kay, John Baenziger, Albert Berghuis and Peter Tieleman.

Atomistic resolution structure and dynamics of lipid bilayers in simulations and experiments

Accurate details on the sampled atomistic resolution structures of lipid bilayers can be experimentally obtained by measuring C-H bond order parameters, spin relaxation rates and scattering form factors. These parameters can be also directly calculated from the classical atomistic resolution molecular dynamics simulations (MD) and compared to the experimentally achieved results. This comparison measures the simulation model quality with respect to 'reality'. If agreement is sufficient, the simulation model gives an atomistic structural interpretation of the acquired experimental data. Significant advance of MD models is made by jointly interpreting different experiments using the same structural model. Here we focus on phosphatidylcholine lipid bilayers, which out of all model membranes have been studied mostly by experiments and simulations, leading to the largest available dataset. From the applied comparisons we conclude that the acyl chain region structure and rotational dynamics are generally well described in simulation models. Also changes with temperature, dehydration and cholesterol concentration are qualitatively correctly reproduced. However, the quality of the underlying atomistic resolution structural changes is uncertain. Even worse, when focusing on the lipid bilayer properties at the interfacial region, e.g. glycerol backbone and choline structures, and cation binding, many simulation models produce an inaccurate description of experimental data. Thus extreme care must be applied when simulations are applied to understand phenomena where the interfacial region plays a significant role. This work is done by the NMRlipids Open Collaboration project running at https://nmrlipids.blogspot.fi and https://github.com/NMRLipids. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Biosimulations edited by Ilpo Vattulainen and Tomasz Róg.

A ring to rule them all: the effect of cyclopropane Fatty acids on the fluidity of lipid bilayers

Cyclopropane fatty acids are widespread in bacteria. As their concentration increases on exposure to hostile environments, they have been proposed to protect membranes. Here, the effect of cyclopropane and unsaturated fatty acids, both in cis and trans configurations, on the packing, order, and fluidity of lipid bilayers is explored using molecular dynamics simulations. It is shown that cyclopropane fatty acids disrupt lipid packing, favor the occurrence of gauche defects in the chains, and increase the lipid lateral diffusion, suggesting that they enhance fluidity. At the same time, they generally induce a greater degree of order than unsaturated fatty acids of the same configuration and limit the rotation about the bonds surrounding the cyclopropane ring. This indicates that cyclopropane fatty acids may fulfill a dual function: stabilizing membranes against adverse conditions while simultaneously promoting their fluidity. Marked differences in the effect of cis- and trans-monocyclopropanated fatty acids were also observed, suggesting that they may play alternative roles in membranes.

Membrane lipids and proteins as modulators of urothelial endocytic vesicles pathways

The increased studies on urinary bladder umbrella cells as an important factor for maintaining the permeability barrier have suggested new pathways for the discoidal/fusiform endocytic vesicles which is one of the main features of the umbrella cells. The biological role of these vesicles was defined, for many years, as a membrane reservoir for the umbrella cell apical plasma membrane which are subject to an increased tension during the filling phase of the micturition cycle and, therefore, the vesicles are fused with the apical membrane. Upon voiding, the added membrane is reinserted via a non-clathrin or caveolin-dependant endocytosis thereby restoring the vesicle cytoplasmic pool. However, in the last decade, new evidence appeared indicating alternative pathways of the endocytic vesicles different than the cycling process of exocytosis/endocytosis. The purpose of this review is to analyze the molecular modulators, such as membrane lipids and proteins, in the permeability of endocytic vesicles, the sorting of endocytosed material to lysosomal degradation pathway and recycling of both membrane and fluid phases.

Molecular dynamics investigation of bond ordering of unsaturated lipids in monolayers

Molecular dynamics simulations of three model lipid monolayers of 2,3-diacyl-D-glycerolipids, that contained stearoyl (18:0) in the position 3 and oleoyl (18:ω9cis), linoleoyl (18:2ω6cis), or linolenoyl (18:3ω3cis) in the position 2, have been carried out. The simulation systems consisted of 24 lipid molecules arranged in a rectangular simulation cell, with periodic boundary conditions in the surface plane. 1 nanosecond simulations were performed at T = 295 K. C-C and C-H bond order parameter profiles and the bond orientation distributions about the monolayer normal have been calculated. The relation of the distributions to the order parameters was analyzed in terms of maxima and widths of the distributions. The cis double bond order parameter is found to be higher than those of adjacent single C-C bonds. The widths of the two distributions of C-H bonds of the cis double bond segment in di- and triunsaturated molecules are much smaller than that obtained for methylene group located between the double bonds. The bond orientation distribution function widths depend on both the segment location in the chain and the segment chemical structure.

Analysis of NAD 2D-NMR spectra of saturated fatty acids in polypeptide aligning media by experimental and modeling approaches

The overall and detailed elucidation (including the stereochemical aspects) of enzymatic mechanisms requires the access to all reliable information related to the natural isotopic fractionation of both precursors and products. Natural abundance deuterium (NAD) 2D-NMR experiments in polypeptide liquid-crystalline solutions are a new, suitable tool for analyzing site-specific deuterium isotopic distribution profiles. Here this method is utilized for analyzing saturated C14 to C18 fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), which are challenging because of the crowding of signals in a narrow spectral region. Experiments in achiral and chiral oriented solutions were performed. The spectral analysis is supplemented by the theoretical prediction of quadrupolar splittings as a function of the geometry and flexibility of FAMEs, based on a novel computational methodology. This allows us to confirm the spectral assignments, while providing insights into the mechanism of solute ordering in liquid-crystalline polypeptide solutions. This is found to be dominated by steric repulsions between FAMEs and polypeptides.

An NMR database for simulations of membrane dynamics

Computational methods are powerful in capturing the results of experimental studies in terms of force fields that both explain and predict biological structures. Validation of molecular simulations requires comparison with experimental data to test and confirm computational predictions. Here we report a comprehensive database of NMR results for membrane phospholipids with interpretations intended to be accessible by non-NMR specialists. Experimental ¹³C-¹H and ²H NMR segmental order parameters (S(CH) or S(CD)) and spin-lattice (Zeeman) relaxation times (T(1Z)) are summarized in convenient tabular form for various saturated, unsaturated, and biological membrane phospholipids. Segmental order parameters give direct information about bilayer structural properties, including the area per lipid and volumetric hydrocarbon thickness. In addition, relaxation rates provide complementary information about molecular dynamics. Particular attention is paid to the magnetic field dependence (frequency dispersion) of the NMR relaxation rates in terms of various simplified power laws. Model-free reduction of the T(1Z) studies in terms of a power-law formalism shows that the relaxation rates for saturated phosphatidylcholines follow a single frequency-dispersive trend within the MHz regime. We show how analytical models can guide the continued development of atomistic and coarse-grained force fields. Our interpretation suggests that lipid diffusion and collective order fluctuations are implicitly governed by the viscoelastic nature of the liquid-crystalline ensemble. Collective bilayer excitations are emergent over mesoscopic length scales that fall between the molecular and bilayer dimensions, and are important for lipid organization and lipid-protein interactions. Future conceptual advances and theoretical reductions will foster understanding of biomembrane structural dynamics through a synergy of NMR measurements and molecular simulations.

The effect of calcium on the conformation of cobalamin transporter BtuB

BtuB is a beta-barrel membrane protein that facilitates transport of cobalamin (vitamin B12) from the extracellular medium across the outer membrane of Escherichia coli. It is thought that binding of B12 to BtuB alters the conformation of its periplasm-exposed N-terminal residues (the TonB box), which enables subsequent binding of a TonB protein and leads to eventual uptake of B12 into the cytoplasm. Structural studies determined the location of the B12 binding site at the top of the BtuB's beta-barrel, surrounded by extracellular loops. However, the structure of the loops was found to depend on the method used to obtain the protein crystals, which-among other factors-differed in calcium concentration. Experimentally, calcium concentration was found to modulate the binding of the B12 substrate to BtuB. In this study, we investigate the effect of calcium ions on the conformation of the extracellular loops of BtuB and their possible role in B12 binding. Using all-atom molecular dynamics, we simulate conformational fluctuations of several X-ray structures of BtuB in the presence and absence of calcium ions. These simulations demonstrate that calcium ions can stabilize the conformation of loops 3-4, 5-6, and 15-16, and thereby prevent occlusion of the binding site. Furthermore, binding of calcium ions to extracellular loops of BtuB was found to enhance correlated motions in the BtuB structure, which is expected to promote signal transduction. Finally, we characterize conformation dynamics of the TonB box in different X-ray structures and find an interesting correlation between the stability of the TonB box structure and calcium binding.

Effect of lipid peroxidation on the properties of lipid bilayers: a molecular dynamics study

Lipid peroxidation plays an important role in cell membrane damage. We investigated the effect of lipid peroxidation on the properties of 1-palmitoyl-2-linoleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (PLPC) lipid bilayers using molecular dynamics simulations. We focused on four main oxidation products of linoleic acid with either a hydroperoxide or an aldehyde group: 9-trans, cis-hydroperoxide linoleic acid, 13-trans, cis-hydroperoxide linoleic acid, 9-oxo-nonanoic acid, and 12-oxo-9-dodecenoic acid. These oxidized chains replaced the sn-2 linoleate chain. The properties of PLPC lipid bilayers were characterized as a function of the concentration of oxidized lipids, with concentrations from 2.8% to 50% for each oxidation product. The introduction of oxidized functional groups in the lipid tail leads to an important conformational change in the lipids: the oxidized tails bend toward the water phase and the oxygen atoms form hydrogen bonds with water and the polar lipid headgroup. This conformational change leads to an increase in the average area per lipid and, correspondingly, to a decrease of the bilayer thickness and the deuterium order parameters for the lipid tails, especially evident at high concentrations of oxidized lipid. Water defects are observed in the bilayers more frequently as the concentration of the oxidized lipids is increased. The changes in the structural properties of the bilayer and the water permeability are associated with the tendency of the oxidized lipid tails to bend toward the water interface. Our results suggest that one mechanism of cell membrane damage is the increase in membrane permeability due to the presence of oxidized lipids.

Gramicidin Conducting Dimers in Lipid Bilayers Are Stabilized by Single-File Ionic Flux along Them

Gramicidin D was incorporated in a biomimetic membrane consisting of a lipid bilayer tethered to a mercury electrode via a hydrophilic spacer, and its behavior was investigated in aqueous 0.1 M KCl by potential-step chronocoulometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The impedance spectra, recorded from 0.1 to 1 x 10(5) Hz over a potential range of 0.7 V, were fitted to a series of RC meshes, which were related to the different substructural elements of the biomimetic membrane. These impedance spectra were compared with those obtained by incorporating valinomycin, under otherwise identical conditions. The potential dependence of the stationary currents reported on bilayer lipid membranes by Bamberg and Läuger (Bamberg, E.; Läuger, P. J. Membrane Biol. 1973, 11, 177-194) as well as those extracted from potential-step chronocoulometric measurements was interpreted by relating the increase in gramicidin dimerization to a progressive increase in single-file K+ flux along the dimeric channels. An analogous approach was adopted in explaining the difference between the impedance spectra obtained with gramicidin D and those obtained with valinomycin. It is concluded that gramicidin has a low tendency to form dimers in the absence of ionic flux.

Polyunsaturation in lipid membranes: dynamic properties and lateral pressure profiles

We elucidate the influence of unsaturation on single-component membrane properties, focusing on their dynamical aspects and lateral pressure profiles across the membrane. To this end, we employ atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to study five different membrane systems with varying degrees of unsaturation, starting from saturated membranes and systematically increasing the level of unsaturation, ending up with a bilayer of phospholipids containing the docosahexaenoic acid. For an increasing level of unsaturation, we find considerable effects on dynamical properties, such as accelerated dynamics of the phosphocholine head groups and glycerol backbones and speeded up rotational dynamics of the lipid molecules. The lateral pressure profile is found to be altered by the degree of unsaturation. For an increasing number of double bonds, the peak in the middle of the bilayer decreases. This is compensated for by changes in the membrane-water interface region in terms of increasing peak heights of the lateral pressure profile. Implications of the findings are briefly discussed.

Order parameters of unsaturated phospholipids in membranes and the effect of cholesterol: a 1H-13C solid-state NMR study at natural abundance

Most biological phospholipids contain at least one unsaturated alkyl chain. However, few order parameters of unsaturated lipids have been determined because of the difficulty associated with isotopic labeling of a double bond. Dipolar recoupling on axis with scaling and shape preservation (DROSS) is a solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance technique optimized for measuring (1)H-(13)C dipolar couplings and order parameters in lipid membranes in the fluid phase. It has been used to determine the order profile of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine hydrated membranes. Here, we show an application for the measurement of local order parameters in multilamellar vesicles containing unsaturated lipids. Taking advantage of the very good (13)C chemical shift dispersion, one can easily follow the segmental order along the acyl chains and, particularly, around the double bonds where we have been able to determine the previously misassigned order parameters of each acyl chain of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC). We have followed the variation of such order profiles with temperature, unsaturation content and cholesterol addition. We have found that the phase formed by DOPC with 30% cholesterol is analogous to the liquid-ordered (l(o)) phase. Because these experiments do not require isotopic enrichment, this technique can, in principle, be applied to natural lipids and biomembranes.

Molecular dynamics simulations of unsaturated lipid bilayers: effects of varying the numbers of double bonds

The importance of unsaturated, and especially polyunsaturated phosphatidylcholine molecules for the functional properties of biological membranes is widely accepted. Here, the effects of unsaturation on the nanosecond-scale structural and dynamic properties of the phosphatidylcholine bilayer were elucidated by performance of multinanosecond molecular dynamics simulations of all-atom bilayer models. Bilayers of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and its mono-, di-, and tetraunsaturated counterparts were simulated, containing, respectively, oleoyl, linoleoyl, or arachidonoyl chains in the sn-2 position. Analysis of the simulations focused on comparison of the structural properties, especially the ordering of the chains in the membranes. Although the results suggest some problems in the CHARMM force field of the lipids when applied in a constant pressure ensemble, the features appearing in the ordering of the unsaturated chains are consistent with the behaviour known from (2)H NMR experiments. The rigidity of the double bonds is compensated by the flexibility of skew state single bonds juxtaposed with double bonds. The presence of double bonds in the sn-2 chains considerably reduces the order parameters of the CH bonds. Moreover, the double bond region of tetraunsaturated chains is shown to span all the way from the bilayer centre to the head group region.

Flexibility of “Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Chains” and Peptide Backbones: A Comparative ab Initio Study

The conformational properties of omega-3 type of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) chains and their fragments were studied using Hartree-Fock (RHF/3-21G) and DFT (B3LYP/6-31G(d)) methods. Comparisons between a unit (U) fragment of the PUFA chain and a mono N-Ac-glycine-NHMe residue show that both structures have the same sequence of sp2-sp3-sp2 atoms. The flexibility of PUFA originates in the internal rotation about the above pairs of sigma bonds. Therefore, potential energy surfaces (PESs) were generated by a scan around the terminal dihedral angles (phi t1 and phi t2) as well as the phi 1 and psi 1 dihedrals of both 1U congeners (Me-CHCH-CH2-CHCHMe and MeCONH-CH2-CONHMe) at the RHF/3-21G level of theory. An interesting similarity was found in the flexibility between the cis allylic structure and the trans peptide models. A flat landscape can be seen in the cis 1U (hepta-2,5-diene) surface, implying that several conformations are expected to be found in this (PES). An exhaustive search carried out on the 1U and 2U models revealed that straight chain structures such as trans and cis beta (phi 1 approximately psi 1 approximately 120 degrees; phi 2 approximately psi 2 approximately -120 degrees) or trans and cis extended (phi 1 approximately psi 1 approximately phi 2 approximately psi 2 approximately 120 degrees) can be formed at the lowest energy of both isomers. However, forming helical structures, such as trans helix (phi 1 approximately -120 degrees, psi 1 approximately 12 degrees; phi 2 approximately -120 degrees, psi 2 approximately 12 degrees) or cis helix (phi 1 approximately -130 degrees, psi 1 approximately 90 degrees; phi 2 approximately -145 degrees, psi 2 approximately 90 degrees) will require more energy. These six conformations, found in 2U, were selected to construct longer chains such as 3U, 4U, 5U, and 6U to obtain the thermochemistry of secondary structures. The variation in the extension or compression of the chain length turned out to be a factor of 2 between the helical and nonhelical structures. The inside diameter of the "tube" of cis helix turned out to be 3.5 A after discounting the internal H atoms. Thermodynamic functions were computed at the B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,p)//B3LYP/6-31G(d). The cis-trans isomerization energy of 1.7 +/- 0.2 kcal mol(-1) unit(-1) for all structure pairs indicates that the conformer selection was consistent. A folding energy of 0.5 +/- 0.1 kcal mol(-1) unit(-1) has been extracted from the energy comparison of the helices and most extended nonhelical structures. The entropy change associated with the folding (Delta S(folding)) is decreases faster with the degree of polymerization (n) for the cis than for the trans isomer. As a consequence, the linear relationships between (Delta G(folding)) and n for the cis and trans isomer crossed at about n = 3. This suggested that the naturally occurring cis isomer less ready to fold than the trans isomer since a greater degree of organization is exhibited by the cis isomer during the folding process. The result of this work leads to the question within the group additivity rule: could the method applied in our study of the folding of polyallylic hydrocarbons be useful in investigating the thermochemistry of protein folding?

The structure of DHA in phospholipid membranes

Early experiments and molecular simulations of PUFA favored a rigid arrangement of double bonds in U-shaped or extended conformations such as angle-iron or helical. Although results of recent solid-state NMR measurements and molecular simulations have confirmed the existence of these structural motifs, they portray an image of DHA (22:6n-3) as a highly flexible molecule with rapid transitions between large numbers of conformers on the time scale from picoseconds to hundreds of nanoseconds. The low barriers to torsional rotation about C-C bonds that link the cis-locked double bonds with the methylene carbons between them are responsible for this unusual flexibility. Both the amplitude and frequency of motion increase toward the terminal methyl group of DHA.

Molecular dynamics simulations of hydrated unsaturated lipid bilayers in the liquid-crystal phase and comparison to self-consistent field modeling

Molecular dynamics simulations, using the collision dynamics method, were carried out for hydrated bilayers of 1-stearoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (18:0/18:1 omega 9cis PC, SOPC) and 1-stearoyl-2-docosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (18:0/22:6 omega 3cis PC, SDPC). The simulation cells of the two bilayers consisted of 96 SOPC (or SDPC) molecules and 2304 water molecules: 48 lipid molecules per layer and 24 H2O molecules per lipid. The water was modeled by explicit TIP3P water molecules. The C-H bond-order-parameter -S(CH) profiles of the hydrocarbon tails, the bond orientation distribution functions and the root-mean-square values of the positional fluctuations of the lipid chain carbons were calculated. Simulation results are compared to the available experimental data and to other computer investigations of these lipid molecules. Several results of molecular-level self-consistent field calculations of these bilayers are also presented. Both theoretical methods reveal the same main characteristic features of the order-parameter profiles for the given bilayers. Some aspects of the physical properties of unsaturated lipids and their biological significance are discussed.

1H and (13)C NMR of multilamellar dispersions of polyunsaturated (22:6) phospholipids

The polyunsaturated fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) makes up approximately 50% of the lipid chains in the retinal rod outer segment disk membranes and a large fraction of the lipid chains in the membranes of neuronal tissues. There is an extensive literature concerned with the dietary requirements for essential fatty acids and the importance of DHA to human health, but relatively little research has been done on the physical properties of this important molecule. Using (1)H and (13)C MAS NMR measurements of dispersions of 1-palmitoyl-2-docosahexaenoyl-phosphatidylcholine in excess phosphate buffer, we have unambiguously assigned most of the resonances in both the (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra. We were able to use cross-polarization spectroscopy to follow the transfer of polarization from specific (1)H nuclei not only to their directly bonded (13)C but also to those (13)C that are in close proximity, even though they are not directly bonded. Cross-peaks in two-dimensional cross-polarization spectra revealed a close association between the choline headgroup and at least part of the DHA chain but not with the palmitate chain. Finally, we examined the dynamics of the different parts of this lipid molecule, using rotating frame spin-lattice relaxation measurements, and found that methylene groups of both chains experience important motions with correlation times in the 10-micros range, with those for the palmitate chain being approximately 50% longer than those of the DHA chain. The choline headgroup and the chain terminal groups have significantly shorter correlation times, and that part of the dipolar interaction that is fluctuating at these correlation times is significantly smaller for these groups than it is for the palmitate and DHA chain methylenes.

Fatty acids specifically related to the anisotropic properties of plasma membrane from rat urothelium

Four different luminal surfaces of rat urothelium differing in their fatty acid composition were prepared by dietary induction. In order to induce lipid changes, each of four groups of rat received a basal diet rich in one of the unsaturated n-3, n-6 or n-9 fatty acid families and a commercial (control) diet. The effects of the dietary regime on the fatty acid composition of luminal urothelial membranes and their relation to the mobility of fluorescent probes were studied. In comparison with the control diet membrane, all three fatty acid-rich diets induced a decrease of the percentage amount of saturated fatty acid while that of the unsaturated fatty acids was increased. Accordingly, all three diets increased the unsaturation index in comparison with the control diet. The anisotropy across each membrane fraction was assessed using the n-(9-anthroyloxy) fatty acid fluorescent probes 3-AS, 7-AS and 12-AS, which locate at different depths in the membrane. Two different anisotropy profiles were observed. One profile showed the highest anisotropy at the C7 depth, whereas the other exhibited a continuous decrease of the anisotropy from the surface to the center of the bilayer. The molecular properties (isomerization) of 18:2n-9 fatty acid may account, at least in part, for the observed V-shaped profile (the ascending trend) of the membrane anisotropy values as a function of the respective 18:2n-9 fatty acid contents. Nevertheless, the minimum value of the profile did not correspond to the minimum 18:2n-9 fatty acid content, but rather to the higher amount of docosahexaenoic (22:6n-3) fatty acid. Thus, a modulating role of the 22:6n-3 fatty acid on the rigidifying effect of 18:2n-9 fatty acid is suggested, possibly mediated by relationships between fatty acid composition, saturated and unsaturated chain lengths, and freedom of motion of the phospholipid acyl chains.

Are lipid phase transitions responsible for chilling damage in human platelets?

In previous studies we have proposed that the well-known chilling-induced activation of human blood platelets can be ascribed at least in part to a thermotropic phase transition in membrane lipids. The evidence that this is the case is reviewed and amplified in this review, followed by an examination of the available physical data concerning phase transitions in lipid mixtures that mimic the mixture found in platelet membranes. Assuming complete mixing at all temperatures and equal contributions of the members of the mixture to the phase transition, the lipid mixture found in platelets should give values for Tm ranging from about 1 degrees C to about 16 degrees C, depending on the isomers present in the mixture. (The former value is not in agreement with the observed Tm, but the latter is in excellent agreement.) However, examination of the phase diagram for a binary pair of lipids found in platelet membranes shows that ideal mixing almost certainly does not occur; instead of a linear phase diagram, a convex one was obtained. This shape for the phase diagram, which would displace Tm to an unexpectedly elevated temperature, is in agreement with previously published phase diagrams for mixtures of this type. The prediction, based on thermodynamic properties of lipids found in the platelets, is that Tm will be displaced upward in more complex mixtures of the composition found in platelets, a prediction that requires experimental testing.

A carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic study of inter-proton pair order parameters: a new approach to study order and dynamics in phospholipid membrane systems

We report a simple new nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic method to investigate order and dynamics in phospholipids in which inter-proton pair order parameters are derived by using high resolution 13C cross-polarization/magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) NMR combined with 1H dipolar echo preparation. The resulting two-dimensional NMR spectra permit determination of the motionally averaged interpair second moment for protons attached to each resolved 13C site, from which the corresponding interpair order parameters can be deducted. A spin-lock mixing pulse before cross-polarization enables the detection of spin diffusion amongst the different regions of the lipid molecules. The method was applied to a variety of model membrane systems, including 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC)/sterol and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC)/sterol model membranes. The results agree well with previous studies using specifically deuterium labeled or predeuterated phospholipid molecules. It was also found that efficient spin diffusion takes place within the phospholipid acyl chains, and between the glycerol backbone and choline headgroup of these molecules. The experiment was also applied to biosynthetically 13C-labeled ergosterol incorporated into phosphatidylcholine bilayers. These results indicate highly restricted motions of both the sterol nucleus and the aliphatic side chain, and efficient spin exchange between these structurally dissimilar regions of the sterol molecule. Finally, studies were carried out in the lamellar liquid crystalline (L alpha) and inverted hexagonal (HII) phases of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE). These results indicated that phosphatidylethanolamine lamellar phases are more ordered than the equivalent phases of phosphatidylcholines. In the HII (inverted hexagonal) phase, despite the increased translational freedom, there is highly constrained packing of the lipid molecules, particularly in the acyl chain region.

Phases and phase transitions of the phosphatidylcholines

LIPIDAT (http://www.lipidat.chemistry.ohio-state.edu) is an Internet accessible, computerized relational database providing access to the wealth of information scattered throughout the literature concerning synthetic and biologically derived polar lipid polymorphic and mesomorphic phase behavior and molecular structures. Here, a review of the data subset referring to phosphatidylcholines is presented together with an analysis of these data. This subset represents ca. 60% of all LIPIDAT records. It includes data collected over a 43-year period and consists of 12,208 records obtained from 1573 articles in 106 different journals. An analysis of the data in the subset identifies trends in phosphatidylcholine phase behavior reflecting changes in lipid chain length, unsaturation (number, isomeric type and position of double bonds), asymmetry and branching, type of chain-glycerol linkage (ester, ether, amide), position of chain attachment to the glycerol backbone (1,2- vs. 1,3-) and head group modification. Also included is a summary of the data concerning the effect of pressure, pH, stereochemical purity, and different additives such as salts, saccharides, amino acids and alcohols, on phosphatidylcholine phase behavior. Information on the phase behavior of biologically derived phosphatidylcholines is also presented. This review includes 651 references.

Structure and dynamic properties of diunsaturated 1-palmitoyl-2-linoleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine lipid bilayer from molecular dynamics simulation

Unsaturated fatty acid chains are known to be an essential structural part of biomembranes, but only monounsaturated chains have been included in the molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of membrane systems. Here we present a 1-ns MD simulation for a diunsaturated 1-palmitoyl-2-linoleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (PLPC; 16:0/18:2[delta9,12]) bilayer. The structural behavior of the phosphatidylcholine headgroup, the glycerol backbone, and the hydrating water were assessed and found to be consistent with the existing information about similar systems from both experimental and computational studies. Further analysis was focused on the structure of the double bond region and the effects of the diunsaturation on the bilayer interior. The behavior of the diunsaturated sn-2 chains is affected by the tilted beginning of the chain and the four main conformations of the double bond region. The double bonds of the sn-2 chains also influenced the characteristics of the saturated chains in the sn-1 position. Furthermore, extreme conformations of the sn-2 chains existed that are likely to be related to the functional role of the double bonds. The results here point out the importance of polyunsaturation for the biological interpretations deduced from the membrane MD simulations.

Molecular dynamics simulations of phospholipid bilayers

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations at 37 degrees C have been performed on three phospholipid bilayer systems composed of the lipids DLPE, DOPE, and DOPC. The model used included 24 explicit lipid molecules and explicit waters of solvation in the polar head group regions, together with constant-pressure periodic boundary conditions in three dimensions. Using this model, a MD simulation samples part of an infinite planar lipid bilayer. The lipid dynamics and packing behavior were characterized. Furthermore, using the results of the simulations, a number of diverse properties including bilayer structural parameters, hydrocarbon chain order parameters, dihedral conformations, electron density profile, hydration per lipid, and water distribution along the bilayer normal were calculated. Many of these properties are available for the three lipid systems chosen, making them well suited for evaluating the model and protocols used in these simulations by direct comparisons with experimental data. The calculated MD behavior, chain disorder, and lipid packing parameter, i.e. the ratio of the effective areas of hydrocarbon tails and head group per lipid (a(t)/ah), correctly predict the aggregation preferences of the three lipids observed experimentally at 37 degrees C, namely: a gel bilayer for DLPE, a hexagonal tube for DOPE, and a liquid crystalline bilayer for DOPC. In addition, the model and conditions used in the MD simulations led to good agreement of the calculated properties of the bilayers with available experimental results, demonstrating the reliability of the simulations. The effects of the cis unsaturation in the hydrocarbon chains of DOPE and DOPC, compared to the fully saturated one in DLPE, as well as the effects of the different polar head groups of PC and PE with the same unsaturated chains on the lipid packing and bilayer structure have been investigated. The results of these studies indicate the ability of MD methods to provide molecular-level insights into the structure and dynamics of lipid assemblies.

Microbial fatty acids and thermal adaptation

The existing literature on the role of fatty acids in microbial temperature adaptation is reviewed. Several modes of change of cellular fatty acids at varying environmental temperatures are shown to exist in yeasts and fungi, Gram-negative bacteria, and bacteria containing iso- and anteiso-branched fatty acids, as well as in a few Gram-positive bacteria. Consequently, the degree of fatty acid unsaturation and cyclization, fatty acid chain length, branching, and cellular fatty acid content increase, decrease, or remain unaltered on lowering the temperature. Moreover, microorganisms seem to be able to change from one mode or alter the cellular fatty acid profile temperature dependently to another on lowering the temperature, as well as even within the same growth temperature range, depending on growth conditions. Therefore, the effect of the temperature on cellular fatty acids appears to be more complicated than known earlier. However, similarities found in the modes of change of cellular fatty acids at varying environmental temperatures in several microorganisms within the above mentioned groups support the existence of a limited amount of common regulatory mechanisms. The models presented enable the prediction of temperature-induced changes occurring in the fatty acids of microorganisms, and enzymatic steps of the fatty acid biosynthesis that possibly are under temperature control.

Trans-unsaturated lipid dynamics: modulation of dielaidoylphosphatidylcholine acyl chain motion by ethanol

Acyl chain dynamics of the trans-unsaturated lipid, dielaidoylphosphatidylcholine (DEPC), were studied by conventional and saturation transfer electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy of aqueous dispersions of DEPC spin labeled with lecithins having doxyl groups at positions 5, 10, and 14 on the sn-2 chain. The gel to liquid crystalline transition is concerted with simultaneous increases in rotational motion about the long axis of the acyl chain (libration) and in gauche-trans conformational interconversions (wobble). Relative to saturated lecithins at similar reduced temperatures the double bond (a) slowed libration by an order of magnitude in both phases, while wobble motions were several times slower, and (b)-produced a pronounced stiffness of the acyl chain near the double bond. Ethanol (0-1.6 M), in addition to its well-known colligative effect on the phase transition, was found to decrease the bilayer order in a concentration-dependent manner. This effect was smaller in the gel than in the liquid crystalline phase, most pronounced next to the double bond, and weakest deep in the bilayer. Ethanol affected slow motions little in the gel phase but wobble and libration correlation times were markedly decreased in the liquid crystalline phase.

Langevin dynamics studies of unsaturated phospholipids in a membrane environment

Computer simulations of three unsaturated phospholipids in a membrane environment have been carried out using Langevin dynamics and a mean-field based on the Marcelja model. The applicability of the mean-field to model unsaturated lipids was judged by comparison to available experimental NMR data. The results show that the mean-field methodology and the parameters developed for saturated lipids are applicable in simulations of unsaturated molecules, indicating that these simulations have good predictive capabilities. Single molecule simulations, each 100 ns in length, of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC), 1-palmitoyl-2-elaidoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PEPC), and 1-palmitoyl-2-isolinoleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PiLPC) reveal similarities between PEPC and DPPC. The presence of the trans double bond in PEPC has a minimum impact on the structural and dynamic properties of the molecule, which is probably the reason that isolated trans double bonds are rare in biological lipids. POPC exhibits different behavior, especially in the calculated average interchain distances, because of the cis double bond. The position of the two double bonds in PiLPC imparts special properties to the molecule.

Effect of the unsaturation of phospholipid acyl chains on leucine transport of Lactococcus lactis and membrane permeability

The effect of the degree of unsaturation of the phospholipid acyl chains on the branched-chain amino acid transport system of Lactococcus lactis was investigated by the use of a membrane fusion technique. Transport activity was analyzed in hybrid membranes composed of equimolar mixtures of synthetic unsaturated phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) in which the number of cis double bonds in the 18-carbon acyl chains was varied. The accumulation level and initial rate of both counterflow and protonmotive-force driven transport of leucine decreased with increasing number of double bonds. The reduction in transport activity with increasing number of double bonds correlated with an increase in the passive permeability of the membranes to leucine. The membrane fluidity was hardly affected by the double bond content. It is concluded that the degree of lipid acyl chain unsaturation is a minor determinant of the activity of the branched chain amino acid transport system, but effects strongly the passive permeability of the membrane.