POLYUNSATURATED PHOSPHOLIPIDS IN MEMBRANE FUNCTION

神经元的细胞膜含有非常高浓度的 在大多数其他细胞中没有发现的特殊磷酸甘油酯。 这些磷酸甘油酯含有酯化的“ω 3”不饱和脂肪酸， 具有6个顺式双键的酸。 磷酸甘油酯可能 有一个特殊的功能，但这个功能还没有被定义。 它们也可能导致老年痴呆症等疾病，因为它们 对氧化异常敏感 我们一直在探索 磷酸甘油酯可能具有不寻常的包装 这些特性是有效电信号所需的。 几年前在我们的实验室里进行的分子模拟研究， 提出了磷酸甘油酯可能相互作用形成 规则的、紧密封装的数组。 然而，直接的物证 这种可能性仍然缺乏支持。 可比 磷酸甘油酯尚未上市，因此我们不得不 将它们与天然组织分离。 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， 这种紧密的分子堆积结构 我们的模型预测。 完成后，我们的研究应该增加 我们对神经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.