The effect of headgroup methylation on polymorphic phase behaviour in hydrated N-methylated phosphoethanolamine: palmitic acid membranes
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Published version
Author(s)
Allen, Matthew Edward
Elani, Yuval
Brooks, Nicholas Jan
Seddon, John
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Mixtures of fatty acids and phospholipids can form hexagonal (HII) and inverse bicontinuous cubic phases, the latter of which are implicated in various cellular processes and have wide-ranging biotechnological applications in protein crystallisation and drug delivery systems. Therefore, it is vitally important to understand the formation conditions of inverse bicontinuous cubic phases and how their properties can be tuned. We have used differential scanning calorimetry and synchrotron-based small angle and wide angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) to investigate the polymorphic phase behaviour of palmitic acid/ partially-methylated phospholipid mixtures, and how headgroup methylation impacts on inverse bicontinuous cubic phase formation. We find that upon partial methylation of the phospholipid headgroup (1 or 2 methyl substituents) inverse bicontinuous cubic phases are formed (of the Im3m spacegroup), which is not the case with 0 or 3 methyl substituents. This shows how important headgroup methylation is for controlling phase behaviour and how a change in headgroup methylation can be used to controllably tune various inverse bicontinuous phase features such as their lattice parameter and the temperature range of their stability.
Date Issued
2021-06-21
Date Acceptance
2021-05-14
Citation
Soft Matter, 2021, 17 (23), pp.5763-5771
ISSN
1744-683X
Publisher
Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Start Page
5763
End Page
5771
Journal / Book Title
Soft Matter
Volume
17
Issue
23
Copyright Statement
© 2021 The Author(s). This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence.
License URL
Sponsor
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Medical Research Council
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Identifier
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2021/SM/D1SM00178G#!divAbstract
Grant Number
EP/J017566/1
MR/S031537/1
EP/H024425/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Technology
Chemistry, Physical
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Polymer Science
Chemistry
Materials Science
Physics
X-RAY-DIFFRACTION
FATTY-ACID
PALMITIC ACID
PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE MIXTURES
CUBIC MEMBRANES
CHAIN-LENGTH
HII PHASE
LAMELLAR
TRANSITIONS
LIQUID
Ethanolamines
Methylation
Palmitic Acid
Scattering, Small Angle
X-Ray Diffraction
Ethanolamines
Palmitic Acid
X-Ray Diffraction
Methylation
Scattering, Small Angle
02 Physical Sciences
03 Chemical Sciences
09 Engineering
Chemical Physics
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2021-05-17