title: Membrane properties of archaeal macrocyclic diether phospholipids.
abstract: Several biophysical properties of four synthetic archaeal phospholipids [one polyprenyl macrocyclic lipid A and three polyprenyl double-chain lipids (B, C, D) bearing zero, one or four double bonds in each chain] were studied using differential scanning calorimetry, electron and optical microscopies, stopped-flow/light scattering and solid-state 2H-NMR techniques. These phospholipids gave a variety of self-organized structures in water, in particular vesicles and tubules. These assemblies change in response to simple thermal convection. Some specific membrane properties of these archaeal phospholipids were observed: They are in a liquid-crystalline state over a wide temperature range; the dynamics of their polyprenyl chains is higher than that of n-acyl chains; the water permeability of the membranes is lower than that of n-acyl phospholipid membranes. It was also found that macrocyclization remarkably improves the barrier properties to water and the membrane stability. This may be related to the adaptation of Methanococcus jannaschii to the extreme conditions of the deep-sea hydrothermal vents.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Chimie Organique des Substances Naturelles associé au CNRS, Centre de Neurochimie, Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dannenmuller
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arakawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eguchi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kakinuma
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blanc
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Albrecht
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmutz
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakatani
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ourisson
mesh_terms: D020285:Cryoelectron Microscopy; D003903:Deuterium; D019605:Euryarchaeota / Q000737:chemistry*; D005995:Glyceryl Ethers / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008081:Liposomes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D017017:Methanococcus / Q000737:chemistry; D010539:Permeability; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013696:Temperature; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D005995:Glyceryl Ethers; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008081:Liposomes; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D010743:Phospholipids; D014867:Water; D003903:Deuterium