Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Statistical mechanics of the fluidity of phospholipid bilayers and membranes

  • Published:
The Journal of Membrane Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

A statistical mechanical treatment of the fluidity of lipid hydrocarbon chains in phospholipid bilayers is presented, which explicitly takes some account of interchain steric restrictions. With an effective energy separation of 750 cal/mole betweengauche andtrans conformations, it is found possible to account both for the chain dependence of the entropy and enthalpy change at the liquid crystalline transition of saturated lecithins, and also for intensity data in the laser raman spectra of dipalmitoyl lecithin. The method is used to calculate conformational probabilities in the lipid chains, in particular those for 2g 1 kinks. The calculated kink concentrations are found to be in agreement with the molecular permeability theory of H. Träuble (J Membrane Biol. 4:193, 1971).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Birshtein, T. M., Ptitsyn, O. B. 1966. Conformations of Macromolecules. Interscience, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Bothorel, P., Belle, J., Lemaire, B. 1973. Theoretical study of aliphatic chain structure in mono- and bilayers.Chem. Phys. Lipids (In press)

  • Chapman, D., Williams, R. M., Ladbrooke, B. D. 1967. Physical studies of phospholipids. VI. Thermotropic and lyotropic mesomorphism of some 1,2-diacylphosphatidyl-cholines.Chem. Phys. Lipids 1:445

    Google Scholar 

  • Flory, P. J. 1969. Statistical Mechanics of Chain Molecules. Interscience, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Hinz, H.-J., Sturtevant, J. M. 1972. Calorimetric studies of dilute aqueous suspensions of bilayers formed from syntheticl-α-lecithins.J. Biol. Chem. 247:6071

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hubbell, W. L., McConnell, H. M. 1971. Molecular motion in spin-labelled phospholipids and membranes.J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 93:314

    Google Scholar 

  • Levine, Y. K., Wilkins, M. H. F. 1971. Structure of oriented lipid bilayers.Nature, New Biol. 230:69

    Google Scholar 

  • Lippert, J. L., Peticolas, W. L. 1971. Laser raman investigation of the effect of cholesterol on conformational changes in dipalmitoyl lecithin multilayers.Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 68:1572

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lippert, J. L., Peticolas, W. L. 1972. Raman active vibrations in long-chain fatty acids and phospholipid sonicates.Biochim. Biophys. Acta 282:8

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Luzzati, V. 1968. X-ray diffraction studies of lipid-water systems.In: Biological Membranes. D. Chapman, editor. p. 71. Academic Press, London-New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Melchior, D. L., Morowitz, H. J. 1972. Dilatometry of dilute suspensions of synthetic lecithin aggregates.Biochemistry 11:4558

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nagle, J. F. 1973. Theory of biomembrane phase transitions.J. Chem. Phys. 58:252

    Google Scholar 

  • Pechold, W. 1968. Molekülbewegung in Polymeren.Kolloid Z. 228:1

    Google Scholar 

  • Phillips, M. C., Williams, R. M., Chapman, D. 1969. On the nature of hydrocarbon chain motion in lipid liquid crystals.Chem. Phys. Lipids 3:234

    Google Scholar 

  • Salem, L. 1962. Attractive forces between long saturated chains at short distances.J. Chem. Phys. 37:2100

    Google Scholar 

  • Schatzberg, P. 1963. Solubilities of water in several normal alkanes from C7 to C16.J. Phys. Chem. 67:776

    Google Scholar 

  • Schatzberg, P. 1965. Diffusion of water through hydrocarbon liquids.J. Polymer Sci. 10:87

    Google Scholar 

  • Seelig, J. 1971. On the flexibility of hydrocarbon chains in lipid bilayers.J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 93:5017

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheetz, M. P., Chan, S. I. 1972. Effect of sonication on the structure of lecithin bilayers.Biochemistry 11:4573

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Träuble, H. 1971. The movement of molecules across lipid membranes: A molecular theory.J. Membrane Biol. 4:193

    Google Scholar 

  • Träuble, H. 1972. Phase transitions in lipids.In: Biomembranes. F. Kreutzer and J. F. G. Slegers, editors. Vol. 3, p. 197. Plenum Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Träuble, H., Haynes, D. H. 1971. The volume change in lipid bilayer lamellae at the crystalline-liquid crystalline phase transition.Chem. Phys. Lipids 7:324

    Google Scholar 

  • Volkenstein, M. V. 1963. Configurational Statistics of Polymeric Chains. Interscience, New York

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. D. Marsh

    Present address: Biochemistry Department, South Parks Road, Oxford, England

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institut für Biophysikalische Chemie, Göttingen, West Germany

    D. Marsh

Authors
  1. D. Marsh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Marsh, D. Statistical mechanics of the fluidity of phospholipid bilayers and membranes. J. Membrain Biol. 18, 145–162 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01870108

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01870108

Keywords

Search

Navigation