POLYUNSATURATED PHOSPHOLIPIDS IN MEMBRANE FUNCTION

神经元膜含有高浓度的特殊甘油磷脂，这在大多数其他细胞中是找不到的。这些磷酸甘油酯含有酯化的omega - 3不饱和脂肪酸，具有6个顺式双键。磷酸甘油酯可能有一种特殊的功能，但这种功能还没有被定义。它们还可能导致阿尔茨海默氏症等疾病，因为它们异常容易氧化。我们一直在探索磷酸甘油酯可能具有有效电信号所需的不寻常的包装特性的可能性。几年前在我们实验室进行的分子模型研究提出了磷酸甘油酯可能相互作用形成规则的紧密排列的可能性。然而，支持这种可能性的直接物证仍然缺乏。可比较的磷酸甘油酯在商业上是不可获得的，所以我们不得不从原生组织中分离它们。这是一个非常耗时的过程，但我们已经获得了有希望的结果，与我们的模型预测的那种紧密的分子包装排列一致。一旦完成，我们的研究将增加我们对神经元传导的分子基础的理解。

The membranes of neurons contain very high concentrations of special phosphoglycerides that are not found in most other cells. These phosphoglycerides contain esterified "omega 3" unsaturated fatty acids that have 6 cis double bonds. The phosphoglycerides probably have a special function, but that function has yet to be defined. They also may contribute to diseases such as Alzheimer's because they are unusually susceptible to oxidation. We have been exploring the possibility that the phosphoglycerides may have unusual packing properties which are required for effective electrical signaling. Molecular modeling studies, done several years ago in our laboratory, raised the possibility that the phosphoglycerides may interact to form regular, tightly packed arrays. However, direct physical evidence in support of this possibility is still lacking. Comparable phosphoglycerides are not commercially available, so we have had to isolate them from native tissues. This has been a very time-consuming process, but we have obtained promising results that are consistent with the kind of tight molecular packing arrangements that were predicted by our models. When completed, our study should increase our understanding of the molecular basis of neuronal conduction.