Referenced in: none

Automatically associated channels: Kir2.3

Title: Lipid unsaturation and organelle dynamics.

Authors: Hélène Barelli, Bruno Antonny

Journal, date & volume: Curr. Opin. Cell Biol., 2016 Apr 7 , 41, 25-32

PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27062546

Abstract
The number of double bonds (=unsaturation) in the acyl chains of phospholipids (PL) influences the physical properties of cellular membranes. Here, we discuss disparate molecular processes, including vesicle budding, ion channel opening, and lipoprotein formation, which are greatly facilitated by PL polyunsaturation in membranes. Experimental and computer-based approaches for the structure and dynamics of PL suggest a common cause for these effects: the ability of the polyunsaturated acyl chain of PL to extend or bent along the membrane normal according to various constraints, thereby enabling a third dimension of motion in a structure that is essentially a 2D fluid.