Shusen Li

Calorimetric and molecular mechanics studies of the thermotropic phase behavior of membrane phospholipids.

In this review, we summarize the results of recent studies on the main phase transition behavior of phospholipid bilayers using the combined approaches of molecular mechanics simulations and high-resolution differential scanning calorimetry. Following a brief overview of the phase transition phenomenon exhibited by the lipid bilayer, we begin with the review by showing how several structural parameters underlying various phospholipids including phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylglycerol are defined and determined. Specifically, these structural parameters are obtained with saturated lipids packed in the gel-state bilayer using computer-based molecular mechanics calculations. Then we proceed to present the calorimetric data obtained with the lipid bilayer composed of saturated phospholipids as it undergoes the gel-to-liquid-crystalline phase transition in excess water. The general equations that can correlate the gel-to-liquid-crystalline phase transition temperature (T(m)) of the lipid bilayer with the structural parameters of the lipid molecule constituting the lipid bilayer are subsequently presented. From these equations, two tables of predicated T(m) values for well over 400 molecular species of saturated phosphatidylcholine and saturated phosphatidylethanolamine are generated. We further review the structure and chain-melting behavior of a large number of sn-1 saturated/sn-2 unsaturated phospholipids. Two T(m)-diagrams are shown, from which the effects of the number and the position of one to five cis carbon-carbon double bonds on T(m) can be viewed simultaneously. Finally, in the last part of this review, simple molecular models that have been invoked to interpret the characteristic T(m) trends exhibited by lipid bilayers composed of unsaturated lipids with different numbers and positions of cis carbon-carbon double bonds as seen in the T(m)-diagram are presented.

Interconversion of bilayer phase transition temperatures between phosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylcholines

High-resolution differential scanning calorimetric studies were performed to investigate the thermotropic phase behavior of 31 molecular species of phosphatidylethanolamines in excess water. Upon reheating, the aqueous dispersions of these lipids undergo the gel to liquid-crystalline phase transitions at well defined temperatures (Tm). These Tm values were shown to relate to the structural parameters of the underlying lipid molecules in a characteristic manner. Based on these observations, an interconversion of the Tm values between saturated phosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylcholines is established quantitatively for the first time.

The effect of ethanol on the phase transition temperature and the phase structure of monounsaturated phosphatidylcholines.

Previous studies from our laboratories have delineated the relationship between the acyl chain asymmetry of mixed-chain phosphatidylcholines, C(X):C(Y)PC, and the effect of ethanol concentration, [EtOH], on the main phase transition temperature, T(m), and the phase structure of the lipid bilayer composed of C(X):C(Y)PC using differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction techniques [Huang and McIntosh, Biophys. J. 72 (1997) 2702--2709]. In the present work, we have extended these studies to characterize the effect of [EtOH] on the T(m) and the phase structure of the lipid bilayer composed of sn-1 saturated/sn-2 monounsaturated phosphatidylcholines with various positions of the cis double bond. Specifically, five positional isomers of 1-eicosanoyl-2-eicosenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholines, C(20):C(20:1 Delta(n))PC with n=5, 8, 11, 13 and 17, were synthesized and studied. For C(20):C(20:1 Delta(n))PC with n=5 and 8, results from the calorimetric experiments showed that in response to various concentrations of ethanol, the change in T(m) of the lipid bilayer composed of monounsaturated lipids was characterized by a sigmoidal or biphasic profile in the plot of T(m) versus [EtOH]. In contrast, a continuous depression of the T(m) by ethanol was observed calorimetrically for C(20):C(20:1 Delta(n))PC with n> or =11. The X-ray diffraction experiments further demonstrated that C(20):C(20:1 Delta(5))PC and C(20):C(20:1 Delta(8))PC can undergo the ethanol-induced gel-to-fully interdigitated phase transition at T<T(m). Such a transition, however, was not observed for C(20):C(20:1 Delta(13))PC even at a very high ethanol concentration of 100 mg/ml. These distinct different effects of [EtOH] on the phase transition temperature and the phase structure can be attributed to various positions of the cis double bond in these monounsaturated phosphatidylcholines. And the different effects of ethanol can, in fact, be explained based on the molecular structures of these monounsaturated lipids packed in the gel-state bilayer as generated by molecular mechanics simulations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the ethanol-induced fully interdigitated bilayers are observed at T<T(m) for unsaturated phospholipids with well defined double bond positions in their sn-2 acyl chains.

INFLUENCE OF THE POSITIONS OF CIS DOUBLE BONDS IN THE SN-2-ACYL CHAIN OF PHOSPHATIDYLETHANOLAMINE ON THE BILAYER'S MELTING BEHAVIOR

In an attempt to examine the effects of different numbers and positions of cis double bonds in thesn-2-acyl chain of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) on the bilayer’s melting behavior, 21 molecular species of PE were first semisynthesized, and their T m and ΔHvalues were subsequently determined by high resolution differential scanning calorimetry. In the plot of T m versus the number of the cis double bond, some characteristic profiles were observed for the various series of PEs. For instance, if the cis double bond was first introduced into the sn-2-acyl chain of C(20):C(20)PE at the Δ5-position, the T m was observed to reduce drastically. Subsequent stepwise additions of up to fivecis double bonds at the methylene-interrupted positions toward the methyl end resulted in a progressive yet smaller decrease inT m . If, on the other hand, the cisdouble bonds were introduced sequentially at the Δ11-, Δ11,14-, and Δ11,14,17-positions along thesn-2-acyl chain of C(20):C(20)PE, theT m profile in the T m versus the number of the cis double bond showed a down-and-up trend. Most interestingly, for positional isomers of C(20):C(20:3Δ5,8,11)PE, C(20):C(20:3Δ8,11,14)PE, and C(20):C(20:3Δ11,14,17)PE, an inverted bell-shapedT m profile was detected in the plot ofT m against the position of the ω-carbon for these isomers. Similar T m profiles were also observed for C(18):C(20)PE, C(20):C(18)PE, and their unsaturated derivatives. This work thus demonstrated that both the positions and the numbers ofcis double bonds in the sn-2 acyl chain could exert noticeable influence on the gel-to-liquid crystalline phase transition behavior of the lipid bilayer. Finally, a molecular model was presented, with which the behavior of the gel-to-liquid crystalline phase transition observed for lipid bilayers composed of varioussn-1-saturated/sn-2-unsaturated lipids can be rationalized.

EFFECTS OF VARIOUS NUMBERS AND POSITIONS OF CIS DOUBLE BONDS IN THE SN-2 ACYL CHAIN OF PHOSPHATIDYLETHANOLAMINE ON THE CHAIN-MELTING TEMPERATURE

In an attempt to investigate systematically the effects of various single and multiple cis carbon-carbon double bonds in the sn-2 acyl chains of natural phospholipids on membrane properties, we have de novosynthesized unsaturated C20 fatty acids comprised of single or multiple methylene-interrupted cis double bonds. Subsequently, 15 molecular species of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) with sn-1 C20-saturated and sn-2 C20-unsaturated acyl chains were semi-synthesized by acylation of C20-lysophosphatidylcholine with unsaturated C20 fatty acids followed by phospholipase D-catalyzed base-exchange reaction in the presence of excess ethanolamine. The gel-to-liquid crystalline phase transitions of these 15 mixed-chain PE, in excess H2O, were investigated by high resolution differential scanning calorimetry. In addition, the energy-minimized structures of these sn-1 C20-saturated/sn-2 C20-unsaturated PE were simulated by molecular mechanics calculations. It is shown that the successive introduction of cis double bonds into thesn-2 acyl chain of C(20):C(20)PE can affect the gel-to-liquid crystalline phase transition temperature,T m , of the lipid bilayer in some characteristic ways; moreover, the effect depends critically on the position ofcis double bonds in the sn-2 acyl chain. Specifically, we have constructed a novel T m diagram for the 15 species of unsaturated PE, from which the effects of the number and the position of cis double bonds onT m can be examined simultaneously in a simple, direct, and unifying manner. Interestingly, the characteristicT m profiles exhibited by different series of mixed-chain PE with increasing degree of unsaturation can be interpreted in terms of structural changes associated with acyl chain unsaturation.

CALORIMETRIC STUDIES OF PHOSPHATIDYLETHANOLAMINES WITH SATURATED SN-1 AND DIENOIC SN-2 ACYL CHAINS

We have semi-synthesized 18 species of mixed chain phosphatidylethanolamines (PE) in which the sn-1 acyl chain is derived from stearic, arachidic, and behenic acids, and thesn-2 acyl chain is originated fromcis,cis-octadecadienoic andcis,cis-eicosadienoic acids with the two methylene-interrupted double bonds located at various positions. These PEs constituting the bilayers in the aqueous dispersion were subjected to differential scanning calorimetric experiments. TheT m values associated with the gel-to-liquid crystalline phase transitions for these PEs are found to be significantly smaller than those of the saturated counterparts. Moreover, the magnitude of the T m -lowering effect of acyl chain diunsaturation depends critically on the positions of the two methylene-interrupted cis double bonds in thesn-2 acyl chain. Specifically, if the sn-2 acyl chain is derived from cis,cis-octadecadienoic acid, the T m -lowering effect has the following decreasing order: Δ9,12 > Δ6,9 > Δ12,15. For cis,cis-eicosadienoyl acyl chain, the T m -lowering effect is stronger in the order of Δ10,13 > Δ11,14 > Δ8,11 > Δ5,8 > Δ14,17. Finally, a refined molecular model is presented that can adequately explain the T m -lowering effect of sn-2 acyl chain diunsaturation. Moreover, this same refined molecular model can also be invoked to better interpret theT m -lowering effect observed for sn-1 saturated/sn-2 monoenoic PE.

On the main phase transition temperatures of highly asymmetric mixed-chain phosphatidylcholines

The highly asymmetric mixed-chain phosphatidylcholines or C(X):C(Y)PC, which can self-assemble at T < Tm into the mixed interdigitated gel-state bilayer in excess water, can be divided into two groups. Group I consists of C(X):C(Y)PC with X > Y, and Group II consists of C(X):C(Y)PC with X < Y. The main phase transition temperatures (Tm) of these C(X):C(Y)PC have been analyzed in terms of two structural parameters (delta and Nf). Specifically, these structural parameters are related to the packing geometry of the lipids acyl chains as the lipid molecules are packed either in a mixed (delta) or a hypothetically partially (Nf) interdigitated packing motif at T < Tm. Based on 28 and 29 Tm values of Group I and II C(X):C(Y)PC, two general equations are derived, respectively, by multiple regression analyses. These equations correlate systematically the Tm values of Group I and II phosphatidylcholines with their corresponding structural parameters. Using these two derived equations, the Tm values of a total of 92 molecular species of C(X):C(Y)PC are generated, and these calculated Tm values can be considered as the reliably predicted Tm values for highly asymmetric C(X):C(Y)PC which have delta C/CL values within the range of 0.42-0.66.

A CALORIMETRIC STUDY OF BINARY MIXTURES OF SATURATED AND MONOUNSATURATED MIXED-CHAIN PHOSPHATIDYLETHANOLAMINES

In this study, we have semisynthesized the following three molecular species of mixed-chain phosphatidylethanolamine: C(22):C(12)PE, C(16):C(18:1 delta 9)PE, and C(10):C(24:1 delta 15)PE. These lipids share a common structural characteristic, that is, they all have the same total number of carbon atoms in their acyl chains. Aqueous dispersions prepared from three sets of binary lipid mixtures, C(16):C(18:1 delta 9)PE/C(22):C(12)PE, C(10):C(24:1 delta 15)PE/C(22):C(12)PE, and C(16):C(18:1 delta 9)PE/C(10):C(24:1 delta 15)PE, were studied by high-resolution differential scanning calorimetry, leading to the construction of three temperature-composition phase diagrams. A computer program developed on the basis of the thermodynamic equations for non-ideality of mixing (or Brigg-Williams approximation) was applied to fit the calorimetric data, yielding the non-ideality parameters of mixing in the gel and the liquid-crystalline bilayers (pG and pL). Based on the shapes of these phase diagrams and the values of pG and pL, it is concluded that any two of the three molecular species of phosphatidylethanolamines under study can mix nearly ideally in the bilayer plane of the liquid-crystalline bilayer. However, these binary lipid mixtures do exhibit the gel-gel phase immiscibility over an extensive compositional region in the gel-state bilayer. By comparison with experimental data obtained with binary mixtures of saturated identical-chain phospholipids, we can conclude that mixed-chain cis-monounsaturated lipid molecules and saturated lipid molecules are highly demixed in the same two-dimensional plane of the gel-state bilayer, although the bilayer thickness difference between the lipid bilayer composed of cis-monounsaturated lipids and that of saturated lipids may be only one or two C-C bond lengths at T < Tm.