title: Structure and thermotropic properties of hydrated N-stearoyl sphingomyelin bilayer membranes.
abstract: Hydrated multibilayers of N-stearoyl sphingomyelin were investigated as a function of hydration using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction. Anhydrous N-stearoyl sphingomyelin exhibits an endothermic transition at 75 degrees C (delta H = 3.8 kcal/mol); increasing hydration progressively lowers the transition temperature and increases the transition enthalpy, until limiting values (Tm = 45 degrees C, delta H = 6.7 kcal/mol) are observed for hydration values greater than 21.4% H2O. At low hydration levels, less than 20% H2O, an additional transition is observed at approx. 20 degrees C. X-ray diffraction studies at temperatures below (22 degrees C) and above (55 degrees C) the main endothermic transition confirm that the bilayer gel (sharp 4.2 A reflection)----bilayer liquid crystal (diffuse 4.5 A reflection) transition occurs at all hydration levels with limiting bilayer hydration occurring at approx. 31.5% H2O in the gel phase and at approx. 35% H2O in the liquid crystal phase. The thermotropic properties and metastability of this partial synthetic N-stearoyl sphingomyelin differ in some respects from that of the previously studied synthetic DL-erythro-N-stearoyl sphingomyelin (Estep, T.N., Calhoun, W.I., Barenholz, Y., Biltonen, R.L., Shipley, G.G. and Thompson, T.E. (1980) Biochemistry 19, 20-24), suggesting an influential role of the interfacial molecular conformation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Housman Medical Research Center, Boston University School of Medicine, MA 02118-2394.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Maulik
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Sripada
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Shipley
mesh_terms: D002152:Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D013109:Sphingomyelins / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014867:Water; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D013109:Sphingomyelins; D014867:Water; C033173:N-stearoylsphingomyelin