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Membrane Lipid Polymorphism

Relationship to Bilayer Properties and Protein Function

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Methods in Membrane Lipids

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology™ ((MIMB,volume 400))

Abstract

Bilayers are the most familiar arrangement of phospholipids. However, even as bilayers, phospholipids can arrange themselves in a variety of morphologies from essentially flat structures found in large liposomes or when adhered to a flat solid support, to the curved structures found in small liposomes or as bicontinuous cubic phases. Phospholipids can also arrange themselves as curved monolayers, such as in the hexagonal phase, and they can even form spherical or ellipsoid-shaped micelles. A number of factors will determine the final morphology of a lipid aggregate including the structure of the lipid, the nature of the lipid headgroup and its degree of hydration, and the temperature. In addition to being interesting in its own right, the property of lipid polymorphism can be applied to understand how fundamental intrinsic curvature properties of a membrane alter the physical properties of a membrane bilayer. This, in turn, will affect the functional characteristics of membrane proteins, with several possible mechanisms explaining the coupling of membrane properties with protein function.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

    Richard M. Epand

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  1. Richard M. Epand
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN

    Alex M. Dopico

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Epand, R.M. (2007). Membrane Lipid Polymorphism. In: Dopico, A.M. (eds) Methods in Membrane Lipids. Methods in Molecular Biology™, vol 400. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-519-0_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-519-0_2

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-662-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-519-0

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