A Comparative Study of the Effects of Cholesterol and Lanosterol on Hydrated Phosphatidylethanolamine Assemblies: Focusing on Physical Parameters Related to Membrane Fusion.

ABSTRACT: Cholesterol (Chol) plays a crucial role in regulating membrane properties and biological processes such as membrane fusion, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying its function remain incompletely understood. In order to elucidate how sterol structure influences phospholipid organization relevant to membrane fusion, we compared the effects of Chol and its biosynthetic precursor lanosterol (Lan) on hydrated phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) assemblies using X-ray diffraction, the neutral flotation method, and osmotic stress measurements. Volumetric analyses revealed that Lan has a larger occupied molecular volume than Chol in the bilayers. These values were largely independent of differences between phospholipids (phosphatidylcholine and PE), indicating that sterols are deeply embedded within t

SUBMITTER: Okayama A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12734454 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature