Immobilized lipid in acetylcholine receptor-rich membranes from Torpedo marmorata.
The lipid environment of acetylcholine receptor-rich membranes from Torpedo marmorata has been studied with spin labels. The electron spin resonance spectra of both stearic acid and steroid probes in the membranes revealed an immobilized lipid component, in addition to the fluid component which is found in aqueous bilayer dispersions of the extracted lipids. The spin labels also cause a differential paramagnetic quenching of the intrinsic protein fluorescence of the membranes, which is sensitive to the action of cholinergic ligands and follows a modified Stern-Volmer law. Electron spin resonance difference spectroscopy shows that the protein-associated lipid is immobilized with respect to rotation both around and perpendicular to the long molecular axis, with correlation times : formula: (see text) approximately 50-70 ns. The proportion of lipid in the immobilized component is greater than calculated for a single boundary layer around the protein and corresponds more closely to the total interstitial lipid occupying the area between densely packed protein units in acetylcholine receptor-rich membranes.
D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D004557:Electric Organ / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D005399:Fishes; D008560:Membrane Fluidity; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D013113:Spin Labels
D008563:Membrane Lipids; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D013113:Spin Labels; D000109:Acetylcholine