Unknown

Dataset Information

0

The molecular face of lipid rafts in model membranes.


ABSTRACT: Cell membranes contain a large number of different lipid species. Such a multicomponent mixture exhibits a complex phase behavior with regions of structural and compositional heterogeneity. Especially domains formed in ternary mixtures, composed of saturated and unsaturated lipids together with cholesterol, have received a lot of attention as they may resemble raft formation in real cells. Here we apply a simulation model to assess the molecular nature of these domains at the nanoscale, information that has thus far eluded experimental determination. We are able to show the spontaneous separation of a saturated phosphatidylcholine (PC)/unsaturated PC/cholesterol mixture into a liquid-ordered and a liquid-disordered phase with structural and dynamic properties closely matching experimental data. The near-atomic resolution of the simulations reveals remarkable features of both domains and the boundary domain interface. Furthermore, we predict the existence of a small surface tension between the monolayer leaflets that drives registration of the domains. At the level of molecular detail, raft-like lipid mixtures show a surprising face with possible implications for many cell membrane processes.

SUBMITTER: Risselada HJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2579886 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

Similar Datasets

| S-EPMC4638043 | biostudies-literature
2015-08-18 | PXD002163 | Pride
| S-EPMC10440791 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC4124864 | biostudies-other
| S-EPMC5425705 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC4403184 | biostudies-other
| S-EPMC2666185 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC4922444 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC8450902 | biostudies-literature
| S-EPMC151114 | biostudies-literature