Condensed complexes of cholesterol and phospholipids.
There is overwhelming evidence that lipid bilayer regions of animal cell membranes are in a liquid state. Quantitative models of these bilayer regions must then be models of liquids. These liquids are highly non-ideal. For example, it has been known for more than 75 years that mixtures of cholesterol and certain phospholipids undergo an area contraction or condensation in lipid monolayers at the air-water interface. In the past 3 years, a thermodynamic model of "condensed complexes" has been proposed to account for this non-ideal behavior. Here we give an overview of the model, its relation to other models, and to modern views of the properties of animal cell membranes.
McConnell
Harden M
HM
Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. harden@stanford.edu
Radhakrishnan
Arun
A
D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000737:chemistry*; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D011312:Pressure; D013696:Temperature
D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D010743:Phospholipids; D002784:Cholesterol