Lateral organization of complex lipid mixtures from multiscale modeling.
The organizational properties of complex lipid mixtures can give rise to functionally important structures in cell membranes. In model membranes, ternary lipid-cholesterol (CHOL) mixtures are often used as representative systems to investigate the formation and stabilization of localized structural domains ("rafts"). In this work, we describe a self-consistent mean-field model that builds on molecular dynamics simulations to incorporate multiple lipid components and to investigate the lateral organization of such mixtures. The model predictions reveal regions of bimodal order on ternary plots that are in good agreement with experiment. Specifically, we have applied the model to ternary mixtures composed of dioleoylphosphatidylcholine:18:0 sphingomyelin:CHOL. This work provides insight into the specific intermolecular interactions that drive the formation of localized domains in these mixtures. The model makes use of molecular dynamics simulations to extract interaction parameters and to provide chain configuration order parameter libraries.
Tumaneng
Paul W
PW
Department of Biological, Chemical and Physical Sciences and Center for the Molecular Study of Condensed Soft Matter, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois 60616, USA. ptumanen@iit.edu
Pandit
Sagar A
SA
Zhao
Guijun
G
Scott
H L
HL
D002784:Cholesterol / Q000737:chemistry; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000737:chemistry; D013109:Sphingomyelins / Q000737:chemistry
D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D013109:Sphingomyelins; D002784:Cholesterol; C017251:1,2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine