High-field spin-label EPR of lipid membranes.
High-field EPR of spin-labelled lipid chains has proved to be an extremely productive means for biophysical investigations of phospholipid bilayer membranes. Results on the following three topics are reviewed: 1. Non-axial ordering of lipid chains in cholesterol-containing membranes; 2. Transmembrane polarity profiles and water penetration in lipid membranes; 3. Role of HF-EPR in multi-frequency spectral simulations to investigate lipid-chain dynamics in membranes. These results are obtained from phosphatidylcholine spin probes with the nitroxide systematically stepped down the sn-2 chain, in fully hydrated bilayer membranes of dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC)-containing cholesterol.
Marsh
Derek
D
Max-Planck Institut für biophysikalische Chemie, 37070 Göttingen, Germany. dmarsh@gwdg.de
Kurad
Dieter
D
Livshits
Vsevolod A
VA
D002784:Cholesterol / Q000737:chemistry; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D009038:Motion; D013113:Spin Labels; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry
D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D013113:Spin Labels; D014867:Water; D002784:Cholesterol