Abstract
Lanosterol is the biosynthetic precursor of cholesterol and ergosterol, sterols that predominate in the membranes
of mammals and lower eukaryotes, respectively. These three sterols are structurally quite similar, yet their relative effects on
membranes have been shown to differ. Here we study the effects of cholesterol, lanosterol, and ergosterol on 1-palmitoyl-2-
oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine lipid bilayers at room temperature. Micropipette aspiration is used to determine
membrane material properties (area compressibility modulus), and information about lipid chain order (first moments) is
obtained from deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance. We compare these results, along with data for membrane-bending
rigidity, to explore the relationship between membrane hydrophobic thickness and elastic properties. Together, such diverse
approaches demonstrate that membrane properties are affected to different degrees by these structurally distinct sterols, yet
nonetheless exhibit universal behavior.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Biophysical Journal |
Volume | 90 |
Pages (from-to) | 1639-1649 |
ISSN | 0006-3495 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2006 |