This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: biophysj.105.063271v1 90/3/939    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Mehnert, T. Articles by Beyer, K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Mehnert, T. Articles by Beyer, K.

Structure and Lipid Interaction of N-Palmitoylsphingomyelin in Bilayer Membranes as Revealed by ²H-NMR Spectroscopy

Thomas Mehnert ^*, Kochurani Jacob , Robert Bittman  and Klaus Beyer ^*

^* Lehrstuhl für Stoffwechselbiochemie der Universität München, 80336 Munich, Germany; and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Queens College of The City University of New York, Flushing, New York 11367-1597

Correspondence: Address reprint requests to Dr. Klaus Beyer, Lehrstuhl für Stoffwechselbiochemie der Universität München, Schillerstr. 44, 80336 Munich, Germany. Tel.: 49-89-21-807-5470; Fax: 49-89-21-807-5415; E-mail: kbeyer{at}med.uni-muenchen.de.

Selectively deuterated N-palmitoyl sphingomyelins were studied by deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (²H-NMR) to elucidate the backbone conformation as well as the interaction of the sphingolipids with glycerophospholipids. Macroscopic alignment of the lipid bilayers provided good spectral resolution and permitted the convenient control of bilayer hydration. Selective deuteration at the acyl chain carbons C₂ and C₃ revealed that the N-acyl chain performs a bend, similar to the sn-2 chain of the phosphatidylcholines. Profiles of C-D bond order parameters were derived from the segmental quadrupolar splittings for sphingomyelin alone and for sphingomyelin-phosphatidycholine mixtures. In the liquid-crystalline state, the N-acyl chain of sphingomyelin alone revealed significantly more configurational order than the chains of homologous disaturated or monounsaturated phosphatidylcholines. The average chain order parameters and the relative width of the order parameter distribution were correlated over a range of bilayer compositions. The temperature dependence of the ²H-NMR spectra revealed phase separation in bilayers composed of sphingomyelin and monounsaturated phosphatidylcholine, in broad agreement with existing phase diagrams.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. P. Holland and T. M. Alam Unique Backbone-Water Interaction Detected in Sphingomyelin Bilayers with 1H/31P and 1H/13C HETCOR MAS NMR Spectroscopy Biophys. J., August 1, 2008; 95(3): 1189 - 1198. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. P. Soni, D. S. LoCascio, Y. Liu, J. A. Williams, R. Bittman, W. Stillwell, and S. R. Wassall Docosahexaenoic Acid Enhances Segregation of Lipids between Raft and Nonraft Domains: 2H-NMR Study Biophys. J., July 1, 2008; 95(1): 203 - 214. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Bunge, P. Muller, M. Stockl, A. Herrmann, and D. Huster Characterization of the Ternary Mixture of Sphingomyelin, POPC, and Cholesterol: Support for an Inhomogeneous Lipid Distribution at High Temperatures Biophys. J., April 1, 2008; 94(7): 2680 - 2690. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Aittoniemi, P. S. Niemela, M. T. Hyvonen, M. Karttunen, and I. Vattulainen Insight into the Putative Specific Interactions between Cholesterol, Sphingomyelin, and Palmitoyl-Oleoyl Phosphatidylcholine Biophys. J., February 15, 2007; 92(4): 1125 - 1137. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Kamp and K. Beyer Binding of {alpha}-Synuclein Affects the Lipid Packing in Bilayers of Small Vesicles J. Biol. Chem., April 7, 2006; 281(14): 9251 - 9259. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]