Confinement effects on lipids with charged headgroups.
Supported lipid bi-layers are an excellent model system for biological membranes. The mechanical properties of these layers are highly relevant to their functionality, for example determining how easily proteins and small molecules can insert themselves into the layer. We have recently developed a unique surface force style apparatus that allows direct measurements of the structure of thin layers under confinement using neutron radiation. Our recent ILL experiment determined that the hydration and phase behaviour of certain lipids changes under confinement, but that these changes are approximately constant for the phosphocholine zwitterionic head group with different tail saturation and lengths. This indicates that the lipid head group determines the response of the bilayers to confinement. We propose to study two model lipids with identical hydrocarbon tails, but differently charged head groups, both individually and as mixtures. This will allow us to better understand the role of the head group and look at mixtures of lipids which are more biologically relevant.
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RICHARDSON Robert M.; ABBOTT Stephen; BARKER Robert; COSGROVE Terence; DE VOS Wiebe; MEARS Laura and PRESCOTT Stuart. (2013). Confinement effects on lipids with charged headgroups.. Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) doi:10.5291/ILL-DATA.9-13-496
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