Pressure – temperature phase behaviour of natural sphingomyelin extracts
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Sphingomyelin is the only sphingolipid occurring naturally in mammalian cells and can form up to 50% of the total phospholipid content of the myelin sheath which surrounds nerves. Having predominantly long, saturated acyl chains, it has a relatively high chain melting temperature and has been strongly associated with formation of lipid microdomains. Here, the lyotropic phase behaviour of sphingomyelin from three different natural sources (bovine brain, egg yolk and milk) in excess water is studied as a function of temperature and pressure by small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering, and solid state NMR. The different hydrocarbon chain length distributions of the three lipid extracts results in significant differences in their gel phase structure; both the bovine brain and egg yolk sphingomyelins can form a ripple gel phase but milk sphingomyelin forms an interdigitated gel phase due to the high degree of chain mismatch in its longer hydrocarbon chain components.
Date Issued
2012
Citation
Soft Matter, 2012, 8 (4), pp.1070-1078
ISSN
1744-683X
Publisher
ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY
Start Page
1070
End Page
1078
Journal / Book Title
Soft Matter
Volume
8
Issue
4
Copyright Statement
© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
1070