Temperature dependence of the repulsive pressure between phosphatidylcholine bilayers.
Bilayer structure and interbilayer repulsive pressure were measured from 5 to 50 degrees C by the osmotic stress/x-ray diffraction method for both gel and liquid crystalline phase lipid bilayers. For gel phase dibehenoylphosphatidylcholine (DBPC) the bilayer thickness and pressure-distance relations were nearly temperature-independent, and at full hydration the equilibrium fluid spacing increased approximately 1 A, from 10 A at 5 degrees C to 11 A at 50 degrees C. In contrast, for liquid crystalline phase egg phosphatidylcholine (EPC), the bilayer thickness, equilibrium fluid spacing, and pressure-distance relation were all markedly temperature-dependent. As the temperature was increased from 5 to 50 degrees C the EPC bilayer thickness decreased approximately 4 A, and the equilibrium fluid spacing increased from 14 to 21 A. Over this temperature range there was little change in the pressure-distance relation for fluid spacings less than approximately 10 A, but a substantial increase in the total pressure for fluid spacings greater than 10 A. These data show that for both gel and liquid crystalline bilayers there is a short-range repulsive pressure that is nearly temperature-independent, whereas for liquid crystalline bilayers there is also a longer-range pressure that increases with temperature. From analysis of the energetics of dehydration we argue that the temperature-independent short-range pressure is consistent with a hydration pressure due to polarization or electrostriction of water molecules by the phosphorylcholine moiety. For the liquid crystalline phase, the 7 A increase in equilibrium fluid spacing with increasing temperature can be predicted by an increase in the undulation pressure as a consequence of a temperature-dependent decrease in bilayer bending modulus.
Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
S A
SA
Simon
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S
Advani
T J
TJ
McIntosh
D005782:Gels; D007700:Kinetics; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000737:chemistry*; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
D005782:Gels; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; C097424:dibehenoylphosphatidylcholine