Deuterium NMR investigation of ether- and ester-linked phosphatidylcholine bilayers.

Deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance (2H NMR) spectra of specifically head-group- and chain-deuterated ester- and ether-linked phosphatidylcholine bilayers were studied as a function of temperature over the range -33 to 50 degrees C. Head-group-deuterated dihexadecylphosphatidylcholine ([alpha-2H2]DHPC) bilayers yield line shapes and spin-lattice relaxation times similar to those observed for its ester-linked counterpart, dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine ([alpha-2H2]DPPC), in the high-temperature ripple and L alpha bilayer phases. These results indicate the ether linkage has no effect on the dynamics or the orientational order at the alpha-C2H2 segment of the phosphocholine head group. At all temperatures, the 2H NMR spectra of chain-deuterated 1,2[1',1'-2H2]DHPC bilayers exhibit a reduced spectral width compared to 1,2[2',2'-2H2]DPPC bilayers. The most significant feature of the deuterated alkyl chain spectrum of DHPC at 45 degrees C is the observation of four separate quadrupolar splittings from the alpha-methylene segments of the alkyl chains, in comparison to the three quadrupolar splittings reported previously from the alpha-methylene segments of the acyl chains of DPPC. Spin-lattice relaxation experiments performed on DHPC suggest an assignment of the two smaller and the two larger quadrupolar splittings to separate alkyl chains, respectively. Low-temperature (T less than or equal to -20 degrees C) gel-phase spectra of deuterated head-group [alpha-2H2]DHPC remain an order of magnitude narrower than those observed for [alpha-2H2]DPPC.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)