According to the water replacement hypothesis, trehalose stabilizes dry membranes by preventing the decrease of spacing between membrane lipids under dehydration. In this study, we use molecular-dynamics simulations to investigate the influence of trehalose on the area per lipid (APL) and related structural properties of dehydrated bilayers in atomic detail. The starting conformation of a palmitoyloleolylphosphatidylcholine lipid bilayer in excess water was been obtained by self-assembly. A series of molecular-dynamics simulations of palmitoyloleolylphosphatidylcholine with different degrees of dehydration (28.5, 11.7, and 5.4 waters per lipid) and different molar trehalose/lipid ratios (<1:1, 1:1, and >1:1) were carried out in the NPT ensemble. Water removal causes the formation of multilamellar "stacks" through periodic boundary conditions. The headgroups reorient from pointing outward to inward with dehydration. This causes changes in the electrostatic interactions between interfaces, resulting in interface interpenetration. Interpenetration creates self-spacing of the bilayers and prevents gel-phase formation. At lower concentrations, trehalose does not separate the interfaces, and acting together with self-spacing, it causes a considerable increase of APL. APL decreases at higher trehalose concentrations when the layer of sugar physically separates the interfaces. When interfaces are separated, the model confirms the water replacement hypothesis.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2711319PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2009.05.007DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

water replacement
12
replacement hypothesis
12
molecular-dynamics simulations
8
water
5
hypothesis atomic
4
atomic detail--factors
4
detail--factors determining
4
determining structure
4
structure dehydrated
4
dehydrated bilayer
4

Similar Publications

Civil and geotechnical researchers are searching for economical alternatives to replace traditional soil stabilizers such as cement, which have negative impacts on the environment. Chitosan biopolymer has shown its capacity to efficiently minimize soil erosion, reduce hydraulic conductivity, and adsorb heavy metals in soil that is contaminated. This research used unconfined compression strength (UCS) to investigate the impact of chitosan content, long-term strength assessment, acid concentration, and temperature on the improvement of soil strength.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In organic synthesis, the solvent is the chemical compound that represents the largest proportion of the process. However, conventional solvents are often toxic and dangerous for the environment, and an interesting alternative is to replace them by water. In this context, catalyst surfactants allow both organic reagents in water to be solubilized and organic reactions to be catalyzed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The findings highlight the potential for broadening the use of shell aggregates in construction applications. This research investigated the viability of incorporating milled seashells as fine sand replacements for natural calcareous sand in the production of self-compacting mortar. These results highlight a promising avenue for coastal industries to reduce waste while enhancing the durability of construction materials.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Effective recycling and utilization of waste glass is a critical issue that urgently needs to be addressed. This study aims to explore the feasibility of using ground waste glass powder (particle size ≤ 75 μm) as a supplementary cementitious material to partially replace cement in the preparation of low-carbon and environmentally friendly grouting materials. The research systematically evaluates the impact of waste glass powder (WGP) on the fresh properties (particularly the stability and rheological characteristics) of cement-based grouting materials under various conditions, including WGP content (0-40%), the addition of NaOH activator (NaO content of 4%) or not, and water-solid ratio (/ 0.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Antibacterial Efficacy Comparison of Electrolytic and Reductive Silver Nanoparticles Against .

Antibiotics (Basel)

January 2025

Department of Physics Education, Faculty of Mathematics and Science, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, 1st Colombo St., Karangmalang, Sleman, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia.

The aim of this study was to develop an electrolysis system to produce silver nanoparticles free from toxic gases, as the most common reduction and electrolysis techniques produce nitrogen dioxide (NO) as a byproduct, which is harmful to human health. The new electrolysis system used two identical silver plate electrodes, replacing silver and carbon rods, and used water as the electrolyte instead of silver nitrate (AgNO) solution since AgNO is the source of NO. The electrolytic silver nanoparticles (ESNs) produced by the new system were characterized and compared with reductive silver nanoparticles (RSNs).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!