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High Pressure Bioscience pp 321–343Cite as

How Do Membranes Respond to Pressure?

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Part of the book series: Subcellular Biochemistry ((SCBI,volume 72))

Abstract

Bilayers formed by phospholipids are fundamental structures of biological membranes. The mechanical perturbation brought about by pressure significantly affects the membrane states of phospholipid bilayers. In this chapter, we focus our attention on the pressure responsivity for bilayers of some major phospholipids contained in biological membranes. At first, the membrane states and phase transitions of phospholipid bilayers depending on water content, temperature and pressure are explained by using the bilayer phase diagrams of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), which is the most familiar phospholipid in model membrane studies. Subsequently, the thermotropic and barotropic bilayer phase behavior of various kinds of phospholipids with different molecular structures is discussed from the comparison of their temperature – pressure phase diagrams to that of the DPPC bilayer. It turns out that a slight change in the molecular structure of the phospholipids produces a significant difference in the bilayer phase behavior. The systematic pressure studies on the phase behavior of the phospholipid bilayers reveal not only the pressure responsivity for the bilayers but also the role and meaning of several important phospholipids existing in real biological membranes.

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Acknowledgements

Financial support by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (No. 26410016) from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Life System, Institute of Technology and Science, Tokushima University, 2-1 Minamijosanjima-cho, Tokushima, 770–8506, Japan

    Hitoshi Matsuki

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  1. Hitoshi Matsuki
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto Prefectural University, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan

    Kazuyuki Akasaka

  2. Department of Life System, Institute of Technology and Science, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan

    Hitoshi Matsuki

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Matsuki, H. (2015). How Do Membranes Respond to Pressure?. In: Akasaka, K., Matsuki, H. (eds) High Pressure Bioscience. Subcellular Biochemistry, vol 72. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9918-8_16

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