Structure and dynamics of cholic acid and dodecylphosphocholine-cholic acid aggregates.

ABSTRACT: Bile acids are powerful detergents that emulsify and solubilize lipids, vitamins, cholesterol and other molecules in the biliary tract and intestines. It has long been known that bile acids form soluble mixed micelles with lipids. However, the detailed thermodynamic and structural properties of these micelles are not fully understood. This study sheds light on this issue based on results from multiple molecular dynamics simulations of cholic acid (CA) and dodecylphosphocholine (DPC) mixed micelles. We found that CA molecules form aggregates of up to 12 monomers with a mean size of 5-6. In agreement with several previous simulations and earlier predictions, the overall shape of these CA clusters is oblate disk-like such that the methyl groups point toward the core of the aggregate and the h

SUBMITTER: Sayyed-Ahmad A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2924285 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature