The interfacial tension of the lipid membrane formed from lipid-cholesterol and lipid-lipid systems

Cell Biochem Biophys. 2006;44(2):205-11. doi: 10.1385/CBB:44:2:205.

Abstract

Interfacial tension has been determined for phosphatidylcholine-cholesterol, phosphatidylcholine-phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylethanolamine-cholesterol membranes. Phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and cholesterol (Ch) were to be investigated, because of their presence in biological membranes. Interfacial tension values of pure components are 0.81 x 10(-3) N/m, 1.67 x 10(-3) N/m, and 2.36 x 10(-3) N/m, respectively. The 1:1 complexes were formed during formation of the PC-Ch, PC-PE, and PE-Ch lipid membranes. The following parameters describing the complexes were determined: A3(-1), the surface concentrations of the lipid membranes formed from these complexes; gamma3, the interfacial tensions of such membranes and K, the stability constants of these complexes.

MeSH terms

  • Cholesterol / chemistry*
  • Electric Capacitance
  • Lipid Bilayers / chemistry*
  • Membrane Fusion
  • Membrane Lipids / chemistry
  • Models, Chemical
  • Phosphatidylcholines / chemistry*
  • Phosphatidylethanolamines / chemistry*
  • Phosphatidylserines / chemistry
  • Surface Tension
  • X-Ray Diffraction

Substances

  • Lipid Bilayers
  • Membrane Lipids
  • Phosphatidylcholines
  • Phosphatidylethanolamines
  • Phosphatidylserines
  • phosphatidylethanolamine
  • Cholesterol