Department of Life System, Institute of Technology and Science, The University of Tokushima, 2-1 Minamijosanjima-cho, Tokushima 770-8506, Japan.
Int J Mol Sci. 2013 Jan 24;14(2):2282-302. doi: 10.3390/ijms14022282.
Bilayers formed by phospholipids are frequently used as model biological membranes in various life science studies. A characteristic feature of phospholipid bilayers is to undergo a structural change called a phase transition in response to environmental changes of their surroundings. In this review, we focus our attention on phase transitions of some major phospholipids contained in biological membranes, phosphatidylcholines (PCs), depending on temperature and pressure. Bilayers of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), which is the most representative lipid in model membrane studies, will first be explained. Then, the bilayer phase behavior of various kinds of PCs with different molecular structures is revealed from the temperature-pressure phase diagrams, and the difference in phase stability among these PC bilayers is discussed in connection with the molecular structure of the PC molecules. Furthermore, the solvent effect on the phase behavior is also described briefly.
由磷脂形成的双层膜经常被用作各种生命科学研究中的模型生物膜。磷脂双层膜的一个特征是，在其周围环境发生变化时，会发生称为相变的结构变化。在这篇综述中，我们将注意力集中在生物膜中所含的一些主要磷脂，即磷脂酰胆碱（PCs），根据温度和压力的变化。首先将解释最具代表性的模型膜研究脂质二棕榈酰磷脂酰胆碱（DPPC）的双层膜。然后，从温度-压力相图中揭示了各种具有不同分子结构的 PC 的双层相行为，并讨论了这些 PC 双层之间的相稳定性差异与 PC 分子的分子结构有关。此外，还简要描述了溶剂对相行为的影响。
