Structural characterization of N-lignoceroyl (C24:0) sphingomyelin bilayer membranes : A reevaluation

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Sphingomyelin (SM) is a membrane lipid and plays important roles in signaling, protein trafficking, cell growth and death. We investigated the structure of hydrated highly asymmetric SM, N-Lignoceroyl (C24:0) SM, bilayers with X-ray diffraction (XRD), simultanous small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide angle XRD, and SAXS measurements. At temperatures between two endothermic transitions of hydrated C24:0 SM bilayers, the C24:0 SM formed a ripple phase with the ripple periodicity of ~12-14 nm. About 3 month incubation at 277 K induced the formation of a stable phase with a short lamellar spacing of 5.62 nm. Based upon the structures revealed by this study and the phase behavior, we discuss the intermolecular interactions between C24:0 SM molecules in the bilayer membrane.