title: Stabilization of the bio-membrane by small molecules: interaction of trehalose with the phospholipid bilayer.
abstract: Anhydrobiotic organisms undergo periods of acute dehydration during their life cycle. It is of interest to understand how the biomembrane remains intact through such stress. A disaccharide, trehalose, which is metabolised during anhydrobiosis is found to prevent disruption of model membrane systems. Molecular modelling techniques are used to investigate the possible mode of interaction of trehalose with a model monolayer. The objective is to maximise hydrogen bonding between the two systems. A phospholipid matrix consisting of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) is chosen to represent the monolayer. The crystal structure of DMPC reveals that there are two distinct conformers designated as A and B. An expansion of the monolayer, coplanar with its surface, results in the trehalose molecule being accommodated in a pocket formed by four B conformers. One glucose ring of the sugar rests on the hydrophobic patch provided by the choline methyls of an A conformer. Five hydrogen bonds are formed involving the phosphate oxygens of three of the surrounding B conformers. The model will be discussed with reference to relevant experimental data on the interaction.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chandrasekhar
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Gaber
mesh_terms: D004134:Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine; D004187:Disaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D010743:Phospholipids; D014199:Trehalose / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D004187:Disaccharides; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D010743:Phospholipids; D014199:Trehalose; D004134:Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine