https://doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2012-01682-3
Regular Article
Diffraction studies on natural and model lipid bilayers
1 Institut Laue Langevin, 6 rue Jules Horowitz, BP. 156, 38042 Grenoble, France
2 Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Roma “Tor Vergata”, via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Roma, Italy
3 Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, UK
4 Macromolecular Structure Research Group, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, UK
a e-mail: richard.d.harvey@kcl.ac.uk
b Current affiliation: CEA, DAM, Le Ripault, 37260 Monts, France
Received:
20
July
2012
Revised:
27
September
2012
Published online:
3
December
2012
In this study we have used neutron diffraction to examine the swelling behaviour and bilayer parameters of membranes reconstituted from polar lipids extracted from B. subtilis and model systems composed of synthetic phospholipids. Evidence for phase separation in the model system (lacking in Lysyl-PG, L-PG) is discussed in relation to its possible contribution to membrane domain formation through lipid-lipid interactions. Comparing these results with those obtained from the bilayers composed of lipids extracted from bacterial cells gives us some indication of the role of L-PG in the B. subtilis plasma membrane.
© EDP Sciences, Springer-Verlag, 2012
