Behavioral differences between phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylcholine in the presence of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

ABSTRACT: It has been found experimentally that negatively charged phosphatidic acid (PA) lipids and cholesterol molecules stabilize the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) in a functional resting state that can participate in an agonist-induced conformational change. In this study, we compare phosphatidylcholine (PC) and PA lipid behavior in the presence of the nAChR to determine why PC lipids do not support a functional nAChR. For lipids that are located within 1.0 nm of the protein, both PC and PA lipids have very similar order-parameter and bilayer-thickness values, which indicate that the annular lipid properties are protein-dependent. The most significant difference between the PC and PA bilayers is the formation of a lipid domain around the protein, which is visible in the PA bilayer but

SUBMITTER: Dickey AN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2599862 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature