Phospholipid

Phospholipids

In biological membranes, the phospholipids often occur with other molecules (e.g., proteins, glycolipids, sterols) in a bilayer such as a cell membrane.^[5] Lipid bilayers occur when hydrophobic tails line up against one another, forming a membrane of hydrophilic heads on both sides facing the water.^{[citation needed]}

Dynamics

These specific properties allow phospholipids to play an important role in the cell membrane. Their movement can be described by the fluid mosaic model, which describes the membrane as a mosaic of lipid molecules that act as a solvent for all the substances and proteins within it, so proteins and lipid molecules are then free to diffuse laterally through the lipid matrix and migrate over the membrane. Sterols contribute to membrane fluidity by hindering the packing together of phospholipids. However, this model has now been superseded, as through the study of lipid polymorphism it is now known that the behaviour of lipids under physiological (and other) conditions is not simple.^{[citation needed]}

Main phospholipids

Diacylglyceride structures

See: Glycerophospholipid

• Phosphatidic acid (phosphatidate) (PA)
• Phosphatidylethanolamine (cephalin) (PE)
• Phosphatidylcholine (lecithin) (PC)
• Phosphatidylserine (PS)
• Phosphoinositides:
  • Phosphatidylinositol (PI)
  • Phosphatidylinositol phosphate (PIP)
  • Phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate
    (PIP2) and
  • Phosphatidylinositol trisphosphate (PIP3)

Phosphosphingolipids

See Sphingolipid

• Ceramide phosphorylcholine (Sphingomyelin) (SPH)
• Ceramide phosphorylethanolamine (Sphingomyelin) (Cer-PE)
• Ceramide phosphoryllipid

Applications

Phospholipids have been widely used to prepare liposomal, ethosomal and other nanoformulations of topical, oral and parenteral drugs for differing reasons like improved bio-availability, reduced toxicity and increased permeability across membranes. Liposomes are often composed of phosphatidylcholine-enriched phospholipids and may also contain mixed phospholipid chains with surfactant properties. The ethosomal formulation of ketoconazole using phospholipids is a promising option for transdermal delivery in fungal infections.^[6] Advances in phospholipid research lead to exploring these biomolecules and their conformations using lipidomics.^{[citation needed]}

Simulations

Computational simulations of phospholipids are often performed using molecular dynamics with force fields such as GROMOS, CHARMM, or AMBER.^{[citation needed]}

Characterization

Phospholipids are optically highly

Phospholipid synthesis occurs in the cytosolic side of ER membrane ^[10] that is studded with proteins that act in synthesis (GPAT and LPAAT acyl transferases, phosphatase and choline phosphotransferase) and allocation (flippase and floppase). Eventually a vesicle will bud off from the ER containing phospholipids destined for the cytoplasmic cellular membrane on its exterior leaflet and phospholipids destined for the exoplasmic cellular membrane on its inner leaflet.^[11][12]

Sources

Common sources of industrially produced phospholipids are soya, rapeseed, sunflower, chicken eggs, bovine milk, fish eggs etc. Phospholipids for gene delivery such as distearoylphosphatidylcholine, dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium propane etc. are produced synthetically. Each source has a unique profile of individual phospholipid species, as well as fatty acids, and consequently differing applications in food, nutrition, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and drug delivery.^{[citation needed]}

In signal transduction

Some types of phospholipid can be split to produce products that function as

Phospholipids also intervene in prostaglandin signal pathways as the raw material used by lipase enzymes to produce the prostaglandin precursors. In plants they serve as the raw material to produce jasmonic acid, a plant hormone similar in structure to prostaglandins that mediates defensive responses against pathogens.^{[citation needed]}

Food technology

Phospholipids can act as emulsifiers, enabling oils to form a colloid with water. Phospholipids are one of the components of lecithin, which is found in egg yolks, as well as being extracted from soybeans, and is used as a food additive in many products and can be purchased as a dietary supplement. Lysolecithins are typically used for water–oil emulsions like margarine, due to their higher HLB ratio.^{[citation needed]}

Phospholipid derivatives

See table below for an extensive list.

• Natural phospholipid derivates:

  egg PC (Egg lecithin), egg PG, soy PC, hydrogenated soy PC, sphingomyelin as natural phospholipids.

• Synthetic phospholipid derivates:
  • Phosphatidic acid (DMPA, DPPA, DSPA)
  • Phosphatidylcholine (DDPC, DLPC, DMPC, DPPC, DSPC, DOPC, POPC, DEPC)
  • Phosphatidylglycerol (DMPG, DPPG, DSPG, POPG)
  • Phosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE, DPPE, DSPE DOPE)
  • Phosphatidylserine (DOPS)
  • PEG phospholipid (mPEG-phospholipid, polyglycerin-phospholipid, functionalized-phospholipid, terminal activated-phospholipid)

Abbreviations used and chemical information of glycerophospholipids

See also

• Cable theory
• Galactolipid
• Sulfolipid

References