Structure and dynamics of sphingomyelin bilayer: insight gained through systematic comparison to phosphatidylcholine.

ABSTRACT: Sphingomyelin, one of the main lipid components of biological membranes, is actively involved in various cellular processes such as protein trafficking and signal transduction. In particular, specific lateral domains enriched in sphingomyelin and cholesterol have been proposed to play an important functional role in biomembranes, although their precise characteristics have remained unclear. A thorough understanding of the functional role of membranes requires detailed knowledge of their individual lipid components. Here, we employ molecular dynamics simulations to conduct a systematic comparison of a palmitoylsphingomyelin (PSM, 16:0-SM) bilayer with a membrane that comprises dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) above the main phase transition temperature. We clarify atomic-scale properti

SUBMITTER: Niemela P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1304771 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature