液晶と膜構造

岩柳 茂夫, 杉浦 嘉彦

doi:10.2142/biophys.15.164

液晶と膜構造

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岩柳茂夫

理化学研究所
杉浦嘉彦

理化学研究所

書誌事項

タイトル別名

Liquid Crystals and Membrane Structure
エキショウトマクコウゾウ

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説明

This review discusses the structural role of phospholipids in biological membranes. Phospholipids in an aqueous environment exhibit both thermotropic and lyotropic polymorphism. Most important is the smectic mesophase or the lamellar phase consisting of bimolecular layers of lipid molecules separated by layers of water. The bilayers of the lamellar phase exhibit a crystalline-to-liquid crystalline phase transition caused by changes in temperature, pH or ionic environment, as detected by X-ray diffraction, calorimetry and dilatometry. The lipid phase transition is a "melting" transition of the lipid hydrocarbon chains without disruption of two-dimensional networks formed by the hydrophilic group of the lipid molecules. The physiological relevance of the liquid crystalline state of lipids in cell membranes is pointed out.