Neutron diffraction studies on the location of water in lecithin bilayer model membranes

G Zaccai; J K Blasie; B P Schoenborn

doi:10.1073/pnas.72.1.376

Neutron diffraction studies on the location of water in lecithin bilayer model membranes

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1975 Jan;72(1):376-80. doi: 10.1073/pnas.72.1.376.

Authors

G Zaccai¹, J K Blasie, B P Schoenborn

Affiliation

¹ Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973.

Abstract

Lamellar neutron diffraction from oriented multilayers of hydrated dipalmitoyl lecithin was phased by isomorphous H(2)O-D(2)O exchange and swelling techniques. Bound water sites were located in the polar head group region of the bilayer profile. A 6-A resolution structure based on the neutron scattering density profile is proposed for the bilayer. It is consistent with the electron density profile from x-ray diffraction.