Journal Article

FZJ-2021-00547

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Functional lipid pairs as building blocks of phase-separated membranes

Soloviov, D. ; Cai, Y. Q. ; Bolmatov, D. ; Suvorov, A. ; Zhernenkov, K.FZJ* ; Zav’yalov, D. ; Bosak, A. ; Uchiyama, H. ; Zhernenkov, M. (Corresponding author)

2020
National Acad. of Sciences Washington, DC

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Please use a persistent id in citations: http://hdl.handle.net/2128/26901  doi:10.1073/pnas.1919264117

Abstract: Biological membranes exhibit a great deal of compositional and phase heterogeneity due to hundreds of chemically distinct components. As a result, phase separation processes in cell membranes are extremely difficult to study, especially at the molecular level. It is currently believed that the lateral membrane heterogeneity and the formation of domains, or rafts, are driven by lipid–lipid and lipid–protein interactions. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms regulating membrane heterogeneity remain poorly understood. In the present work, we combine inelastic X-ray scattering with molecular dynamics simulations to provide direct evidence for the existence of strongly coupled transient lipid pairs. These lipid pairs manifest themselves experimentally through optical vibrational (a.k.a. phononic) modes observed in binary (1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine [DPPC]–cholesterol) and ternary (DPPC–1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine/1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine [DOPC/POPC]–cholesterol) systems. The existence of a phononic gap in these vibrational modes is a direct result of the finite size of patches formed by these lipid pairs. The observation of lipid pairs provides a spatial (subnanometer) and temporal (subnanosecond) window into the lipid–lipid interactions in complex mixtures of saturated/unsaturated lipids and cholesterol. Our findings represent a step toward understanding the lateral organization and dynamics of membrane domains using a well-validated probe with a high spatial and temporal resolution.

Keyword(s): Health and Life (1st) ; Biology (2nd)

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. JCNS-FRM-II (JCNS-FRM-II)
2. JCNS-4 (JCNS-4)
3. Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ)
4. Streumethoden (JCNS-2)

Research Program(s):

1. 6215 - Soft Matter, Health and Life Sciences (POF3-621) (POF3-621)
2. 6G4 - Jülich Centre for Neutron Research (JCNS) (POF3-623) (POF3-623)
3. 6G15 - FRM II / MLZ (POF3-6G15) (POF3-6G15)

Experiment(s):

1. MARIA: Magnetic reflectometer with high incident angle (NL5N)

Appears in the scientific report 2020

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Database coverage:
; ; ; BIOSIS Previews ; Biological Abstracts ; Clarivate Analytics Master Journal List ; Current Contents - Agriculture, Biology and Environmental Sciences ; Current Contents - Life Sciences ; Ebsco Academic Search ; Essential Science Indicators ; IF >= 5 ; JCR ; National-Konsortium ; PubMed Central ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Web of Science Core Collection ; Zoological Record

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