title: Liquid but durable: molecular dynamics simulations explain the unique properties of archaeal-like membranes.
abstract: Archaeal plasma membranes appear to be extremely durable and almost impermeable to water and ions, in contrast to the membranes of Bacteria and Eucaryota. Additionally, they remain liquid within a temperature range of 0-100°C. These are the properties that have most likely determined the evolutionary fate of Archaea, and it may be possible for bionanotechnology to adopt these from nature. In this work, we use molecular dynamics simulations to assess at the atomistic level the structure and dynamics of a series of model archaeal membranes with lipids that have tetraether chemical nature and "branched" hydrophobic tails. We conclude that the branched structure defines dense packing and low water permeability of archaeal-like membranes, while at the same time ensuring a liquid-crystalline state, which is vital for living cells. This makes tetraether lipid systems promising in bionanotechnology and material science, namely for design of new and unique membrane nanosystems.
authors.affiliation: M.M. Shemyakin &Yu.A. Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, Moscow 117997.
authors.forename: Anton O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Chugunov
authors.affiliation: M.M. Shemyakin &Yu.A. Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, Moscow 117997.
authors.forename: Pavel E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Volynsky
authors.affiliation: 1] M.M. Shemyakin &Yu.A. Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, Moscow 117997 [2] Joint Supercomputer Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky prospect, 32a, Moscow 119991, Russia.
authors.forename: Nikolay A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Krylov
authors.affiliation: M.M. Shemyakin &Yu.A. Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, Moscow 117997.
authors.forename: Ivan A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Boldyrev
authors.affiliation: 1] M.M. Shemyakin &Yu.A. Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 16/10, Moscow 117997 [2] Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, 141700, Russia [3] Higher School of Economics, Myasnitskaya ul. 20, 101000 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Roman G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Efremov
mesh_terms: D001105:Archaea / Q000378:metabolism*; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry*; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D056004:Molecular Dynamics Simulation; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D014867:Water