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Dr. Juha Holopainen
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Conference abstract - invited talk:2-Dimensional ordering of lipid membranes - emphasis on the N-acyl chain of ceramideCellular membranes can be described as a complex interface composed of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. To date the function of a number of proteins is known in detail as the crystal structure of these molecules have been revealed. On the other hand, the function of the lipid portion of cellular mebranes is still incomplete and this is in part due to the diversity of lipid headgroups found in these supramolecular assemblies. Further complexity to the understanding of the function of lipids is highlighted by the variation in the length and degree saturation of the acyl chains found in cellular membranes. One of the most intriguing lipid second messengers revealed in the past few years is ceramide, which acts as a signal for programmed cell death, cell differentiation, and senescence. In light of the above it has been shown that the signal for programmed cell death derives from N-palmitoyl-sphingosine (C16:0-ceramide) emphasizing the importance of the acyl chain composition. Using Langmuir film balance technique with fluorescence microscopy the 2-dimensional ordering of a series of ceramides (varying in their N-acyl chains) with phosphatidylcholine is described and the possible physiological significance of these results is discussed. |
