Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2013, 14(2), 2282-2302; doi:10.3390/ijms14022282
Review

Thermotropic and Barotropic Phase Behavior of Phosphatidylcholine Bilayers

Hitoshi Matsuki 1,* email, Masaki Goto 1 email, Kaori Tada 2 email and Nobutake Tamai 1 email
1 Department of Life System, Institute of Technology and Science, The University of Tokushima, 2-1 Minamijosanjima-cho, Tokushima 770-8506, Japan 2 Department of Material Science and Technology, Kochi National College of Technology, 200-1 Monobe-otsu, Nankoku, Kochi 783-8508, Japan
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 21 December 2012; in revised form: 11 January 2013 / Accepted: 15 January 2013 / Published: 24 January 2013
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phospholipids: Molecular Sciences 2012)
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Abstract: Bilayers formed by phospholipids are frequently used as model biological membranes in various life science studies. A characteristic feature of phospholipid bilayers is to undergo a structural change called a phase transition in response to environmental changes of their surroundings. In this review, we focus our attention on phase transitions of some major phospholipids contained in biological membranes, phosphatidylcholines (PCs), depending on temperature and pressure. Bilayers of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), which is the most representative lipid in model membrane studies, will first be explained. Then, the bilayer phase behavior of various kinds of PCs with different molecular structures is revealed from the temperature–pressure phase diagrams, and the difference in phase stability among these PC bilayers is discussed in connection with the molecular structure of the PC molecules. Furthermore, the solvent effect on the phase behavior is also described briefly.
Keywords: bilayer; lipid membrane; phase diagram; phase transition; phosphatidylcholine; pressure

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Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

Matsuki, H.; Goto, M.; Tada, K.; Tamai, N. Thermotropic and Barotropic Phase Behavior of Phosphatidylcholine Bilayers. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2013, 14, 2282-2302.

AMA Style

Matsuki H, Goto M, Tada K, Tamai N. Thermotropic and Barotropic Phase Behavior of Phosphatidylcholine Bilayers. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2013; 14(2):2282-2302.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Matsuki, Hitoshi; Goto, Masaki; Tada, Kaori; Tamai, Nobutake. 2013. "Thermotropic and Barotropic Phase Behavior of Phosphatidylcholine Bilayers." Int. J. Mol. Sci. 14, no. 2: 2282-2302.

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