title: Brownian dynamics simulation of the unsaturated lipidic molecules oleic and docosahexaenoic acid confined in a cellular membrane.
abstract: A Brownian dynamics (BD) simulation of two unsaturated molecules, oleic and docosahexaenoic acid, in an environment that reproduces a cellular membrane, is presented. The results of the simulations, performed using mean-field potentials, were calibrated with experimental results obtained for oleic acid in a cellular membrane. The agreement between simulation and experimental results is excellent which validates subsequent simulation outcome for docosahexaenoic acid. This molecule is a major component of several cellular membranes thought to be involved in specific biological functions that require conformational changes of membrane components. The results for docosahexaenoic acid indicate that it is minimally influenced by temperature changes and that it presents great conformational variability.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química-Física, Facultad de Química, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30071, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel X
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Miguel A R B
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Castanho
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García de la Torre
mesh_terms: D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D019301:Oleic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D019301:Oleic Acid