[Synthesis and use of thiophosphatidylcholine in 31P-NMR study of membranes].

Thiophosphatidylcholines, i. e. phosphatidylcholine analogues in which one of phosphate oxygens is replaced by a sulfur atom, have been synthesized. The properties of aqueous dispersions of thiophosphatidylcholine and its equimolar mixture with diphosphatidylglycerol (cardiolipin) have been studied by 31P NMR. The 31P resonance of thiophospholipids dissolved in deuterochloroform was found to be shifted 19 ppm downfield from the signals of natural phospholipids. This feature allowed a complete separation of signals of thiophospholipids and natural phospholipids in the 31P NMR spectra of model membranes by using "DANTE" pulse sequence. The possibility of employing thiophospholipids in 31P NMR studies of lipid polymorphism in model membranes was demonstrated.