Natural ceramides and lysophospholipids co-segregate in fluid phosphatidylcholine bilayers

The mode of interactions between palmitoyl lysophosphatidycholine (palmitoyl lyso-PC), or other lysophospholipids (lyso-PLs), and palmitoyl ceramide (PCer), or other ceramide analogs, in dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) bilayers has been examined. PCer is known to segregate laterally into a ceramide-rich phase at concentrations that depend on the nature of the ceramides and the co-phospholipids. In DOPC bilayers, PCer forms a ceramide-rich phase at concentrations above 10 mol%. In the presence of 20 mol% palmitoyl lyso-PC in the DOPC bilayer, the lateral segregation of PCer was markedly facilitated (segregation at lower PCer concentrations).

http://bit.ly/2RQegdt