Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Effect of free cholesterol on incorporation of triolein in phospholipid bilayers

Journal Article · · Biochemistry; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/bi00392a036· OSTI ID:5932760

Triacylglycerols are the major substrates for lipolytic enzymes that act at the surface of emulsion-like particles such as triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, chylomicrons, and intracellular lipid droplets. This study examines the effect of cholesterol on the solubility of a triacylglycerol, triolein, in phospholipid surfaces. Solubilities of (carbonyl-/sup 13/C) triolein in phospholipid bilayer vesicles containing between 0 and 50 mol % free cholesterol, prepared by cosonication, were measured by /sup 13/C NMR. The carbonyl resonances from bilayer-incorporated triglyceride were shifted downfield in the /sup 13/C NMR spectra from those corresponding to excess, nonincorporated material. This enabled solubilities to be determined directly from carbonyl peak intensities at most cholesterol concentration. The bilayer solubility of triolein was inversely proportional to the cholesterol/phospholipid mole ratio. In pure phospholipid vesicles the triolein solubility was 2.2 mol %. The triglyceride incorporation decreased to 1.1 mol % at a cholesterol/phospholipid mole ratio of 0.5, and at a mole ratio of 1.0 for the bilayer lipids, the triolein solubility was reduced to just 0.15 mol %. The effects of free cholesterol were more pronounced and progressive than observed previously on the bilayer solubility of cholestery oleate. As with cholesteryl oleate, they suggest that cholesterol also displaces solubilized triglyceride to deeper regions of the bilayer.

Research Organization:
Boston Univ. School of Medicine, MA
OSTI ID:
5932760
Journal Information:
Biochemistry; (United States), Journal Name: Biochemistry; (United States) Vol. 26:18; ISSN BICHA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English