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The structure of a lipid–water lamellar phase containing two types of lipid monolayers. An X‐ray and neutron scattering study
Author(s) -
Ranck J. L.,
Zaccaï G.,
Luzzati V.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
journal of applied crystallography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.429
H-Index - 162
ISSN - 1600-5767
DOI - 10.1107/s0021889880012678
Subject(s) - lamellar structure , monolayer , neutron scattering , scattering , chemistry , phase (matter) , crystallography , lamellar phase , lipid bilayer , small angle neutron scattering , neutron , analytical chemistry (journal) , membrane , optics , physics , chromatography , nuclear physics , organic chemistry , biochemistry
One lamellar phase, observed in the mitochondrial lipids–water system at low temperature ( ca 253 K) and at low water content ( ca 15%), contains four lipid monolayers in its unit cell, two of type α and two of type β. Previous X‐ray scattering studies of this phase led to an ambiguity: the phase could contain either two homogeneous bilayers, one α and one β, or two mixed bilayers, each formed by an α and a β monolayer. A solution to this problem was sought in a neutron scattering study as a function of the D 2 O/H 2 O ratio. Because of limited resolution, straightforward analysis of the neutron scattering data leads also to ambiguous results. Using a more sophisticated analysis based upon the zeroth‐ and second‐order moments of the Patterson peaks relevant to the exchangeable components, it is shown that the weight of the evidence is in favour of a structure containing mixed bilayers.