Biophysical studies of membrane proteins/peptides. Interaction with ...
Biophysical studies of membrane proteins/peptides. Interaction with ...
Biophysical studies of membrane proteins/peptides. Interaction with ...
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INTRODUCTION: BIOMEMBRANES<br />
<strong>proteins</strong> are responsible by the regulation <strong>of</strong> the transport <strong>of</strong> ions and molecules across<br />
the <strong>membrane</strong>. Thus, the bio<strong>membrane</strong> is actually a selective barrier. To this effect, the<br />
distributions <strong>of</strong> both lipids and <strong>proteins</strong> exhibit asymmetry in each side <strong>of</strong> the bilayer.<br />
Another consequence <strong>of</strong> the fluid character <strong>of</strong> the lipid bilayer is its high flexibility<br />
that allows for an easy adaptation to exterior perturbations. In bio<strong>membrane</strong>s, the lipid<br />
bilayer also interacts <strong>with</strong> the cytoskeleton. This interaction is responsible for the<br />
mechanical stability <strong>of</strong> cells that combined <strong>with</strong> the flexibility <strong>of</strong> the lipid bilayer<br />
confers the bio<strong>membrane</strong> <strong>with</strong> unique mechanical properties.<br />
1.2. Molecular composition <strong>of</strong> bio<strong>membrane</strong>s<br />
1.2.1. Lipid composition<br />
Bio<strong>membrane</strong>s are typically composed by four classes <strong>of</strong> lipids: glycerolipids,<br />
sphingolipids, glycolipids and sterols. Their common characteristic is the amphipatic<br />
character which determines the lipid bilayer structure.<br />
1.2.1.1. Glycerolipids<br />
The hydrophobic section <strong>of</strong> glycerolipids is composed <strong>of</strong> linear hydrocarbon chains<br />
esterified to sn-1 and sn-2 (stereospecific numbers) positions <strong>of</strong> a glycerol moiety.<br />
These hydrocarbon chains exhibit great diversity <strong>of</strong> length (commonly from 14 to 24<br />
carbon atoms) and unsaturation (from 0 to 4) in bio<strong>membrane</strong>s. A list <strong>of</strong> some <strong>of</strong> the<br />
most common acyl-chains and their nomenclature is shown in Table I.1. A short<br />
notation normally used for describing them is based on the number <strong>of</strong> carbons and<br />
double bonds. Thus 18:1 stands for an acyl-chain <strong>with</strong> 18 carbons in the hydrocarbon<br />
chain and one double bond. In nature, virtually all double bonds in fatty-acids present a<br />
cis configuration and generally the longer the hydrocarbon chain, the more double<br />
bounds are present. The cis configuration has drastic consequences in the packing <strong>of</strong><br />
lipids (Berg et al., 2002) as will be discussed later. The number <strong>of</strong> carbons in the<br />
hydrophobic chain is nearly always even. In bio<strong>membrane</strong>s, lipids generally contain two<br />
different acyl-chains and frequently one <strong>of</strong> them is unsaturated (Mouritsen, 2005).<br />
The predominant class <strong>of</strong> lipids in bio<strong>membrane</strong>s are the phosphoglycerolipids.<br />
These molecules are glycerolipids in which the sn-3 position is esterified to phosphoric<br />
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