title: Chiral tubule self-assembly from an achiral diynoic lipid.
abstract: Tubules possessing microm-scale chiral substructure self-assemble from an achiral isomer of the tubule-forming diynoic phosphatidylcholine, 1,2-bis(10,12-tricosadiynoyl)sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine [DC(8,9)PC], showing that molecular chirality is not essential for tubule formation. CD spectroscopy shows that these structures' helical sense of handedness instead originates in a spontaneous cooperative chiral symmetry-breaking process. We conclude that the chiral symmetry-breaking must originate in the unusual feature common to the chiral and achiral tubule-forming molecules, the diynes centered in their hydrocarbon tails.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA.
authors.forename: Serhii
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pakhomov
authors.forename: Robert P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Hammer
authors.forename: Bijaya K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.forename: Britt N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Thomas