Distinct effects of progesterone and cholesterol on lipid membranes: insights from biophysical experiments and molecular dynamics simulations.

ABSTRACT: Steroid hormones, including progesterone, are known to exert genomic, non-genomic and non-specific effects. However, their influence on membrane biophysics remains unclear. In this study, we investigate the distinct membrane-modulating behaviour of progesterone compared to cholesterol, employing a multidisciplinary approach that combines fluorescence microscopy, steady-state spectroscopy, and atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. Our results demonstrate that, whereas cholesterol promotes lipid packing and stabilises phase-separated domains, progesterone disrupts phase separation, reduces line tension and increases lipid lateral diffusion, without significantly altering local membrane fluidity. Molecular simulations reveal that progesterone is more variably oriented and distributed with

SUBMITTER: Lagowska A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12554614 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature