Aggregation behavior of short-chained archaeal phospholipid analogs: Contribution of methyl branches to lipid hydrophobicity and membrane formability

• Published in: Colloid and interface science communications Vol. 32; p. 100200
• Main Authors: Komatsu, Hiroshi, Sakai, Kiyotaka, Baba, Teruhiko, Takagi, Toshiyuki, Kanamori, Toshiyuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.09.2019
• Subjects: Archaeal lipid; Bilayer membrane; CMC; Ether-type phospholipid; Lamellar structure; Short-chained phosphatidylcholine; Ether-type phospholipid; Lα; Short-chained phosphatidylcholine; XRD; m; n; ester (or ether)-DCn+mPC; ester-DPhPC; Lamellar structure; PC; CMC; Archaeal lipid; ester (or ether)-DCnPC; Bilayer membrane
• ISSN: 2215-0382; 2215-0382
• DOI: 10.1016/j.colcom.2019.100200

The aggregation behavior of short-chained archaeal phospholipid analogs (DCn+mPCs, (n, m) = (4, 1) and (8, 2), n: number of carbon atoms in the single main chain; m: number of methyl branches in one chain. PC denotes phosphatidylcholine) in water was investigated as a function of the hydrophobic chain length and the glycerol-linkage type (ester or ether bond), using fluorescent probe method, polarized light microscopy and XRD. DC8+2PCs yielded myelin-figures in their dilute solutions at 25 °C, indicating that they tend to form vesicular structures rather than micelles. In contrast, DC4+1PCs lacked to form myelin-figures in their dilute solutions, being similar to short straight-chained PC surfactants, e.g., dioctanoyl-PC. The critical micelle concentrations of DCn+mPCs could be well interpreted on the basis of the total water contact surface area of the lipid hydrophobic chains, while the glycerol-linkage type seemed to have only a minor effect on the aggregation behavior of lipids. [Display omitted] •Ester- and ether-type short-chained archaeal phospholipid analogs (DCn+mPCs) were developed.•DC8+2PCs form vesicles in water while DC4+1PCs form micelles in dilute aqueous solutions.•Hydrophobic surface area of chains controls the aggregation behavior of DCn+mPCs.•Difference between ester- and ether-type has only a minor effect on the aggregation behavior of DCn+mPCs.