Effect of Chain Unsaturation and Temperature on Oxygen Diffusion Through Lipid Membranes from Simulations.

Rafts are nanoscale ordered domains in biological membranes that are rich in saturated phospholipids. In this study, the influence of chain unsaturation and temperature on oxygen diffusion through lipid membranes is examined using advanced computational modeling. The studied phospholipids with increasing unsaturation are: 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC), 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC), and 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC). The unsaturation correlates with the area per lipid and the order parameter. Oxygen diffusion is found to be faster at higher temperature, and the solubility of oxygen in the membrane with respect to water decreases. Diffusion varies over a larger range across the membrane at 323 K in DPPC than in DOPC, whereas POPC has intermediate diffusivity. Oxygen diffusion in saturated lipids is faster at the membrane center and slower near the head group region than in unsaturated lipids. Oxygen solubility in DPPC is higher than in unsaturated lipids.