title: Molecular structure of the lecithin ripple phase.
abstract: Molecular dynamics simulations of lecithin lipid bilayers in water as they are cooled from the liquid crystalline phase show the spontaneous formation of rippled bilayers. The ripple consists of two domains of different length and orientation, connected by a kink. The organization of the lipids in one domain of the ripple is found to be that of a splayed gel; in the other domain the lipids are gel-like and fully interdigitated. In the concave part of the kink region between the domains the lipids are disordered. The results are consistent with the experimental information available and provide an atomic-level model that may be tested by further experiments.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Dynamics Group, Department of Biophysical Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands. a.h.de.vries@rug.nl
authors.forename: Alex H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: de Vries
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yefimov
authors.forename: Alan E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Mark
authors.forename: Siewert J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Marrink
mesh_terms: D015060:1,2-Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005782:Gels / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D008956:Models, Chemical; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D055672:Static Electricity; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005782:Gels; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D014867:Water; D015060:1,2-Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine