The lipid mixture of DPPC (saturated lipid)/DUPC (unsaturated lipid)/CHOL (cholesterol) is studied with respect to its ability to form liquid-ordered and liquid-disordered phases. We employ coarse-grained simulations with MARTINI force field. All three components are systematically modified in order to explore the relevant molecular properties, leading to phase separation. Specifically, we show...

It is now well established that diets rich in saturated fatty acids lead to high levels of serum cholesterol, whereas diets rich in unsaturated fatty acids tend to be associated with lower levels. The mechanism by which these changes in serum cholesterol are induced by dietary fat is not known. One possible explanation for these effects would be either inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis by ...

The effect of the number of quantum dot (QD) layers on the saturated gain of doped QD semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) has been studied using multi-population coupled rate equations. The developed model takes into account the effect of carrier coupling between adjacent layers. It has been found that increasing the number of QD layers (K) increases the unsaturated optical gain for K<8 and...

Phosphatidylethanolamine or phosphatidylcholine may be synthesized in mammalian tissues from diglycerides and cytidine diphosphate ethanolamine or cytidine diphosphate choline, respectively (1). Hydrolysis of the naturally occurring phosphatides has indicated that often the fatty acids at the @ position are unsaturated whereas those at (Y’ are more often saturated (2-4). Although it is possible...

BACKGROUND In cell systems, saturated fatty acids, compared to unsaturated fatty acids, induce a greater degree of ER stress and inflammatory signaling in a number of cell types, including hepatocytes and adipocytes. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of infusions of lard oil (enriched in saturated fatty acids) and soybean oil (enriched in unsaturated fatty acids) on live...

/3-Hydroxyacyl acyl carrier protein (ACP) dehydrase has been purified 2900-fold from extracts of Escherichia coli. The enzyme catalyzes the reversible dehydration of /3-hydroxyacyl-ACP thioesters to yield specifically tram-2-enoylACP products. It is active with frans-2-enoyl-ACP thioesters of chain lengths from 4 through 16 carbon atoms. The enzyme catalyzes the hydration of cis-5frans-2-dodeca...

Biochar land application can potentially be used for carbon sequestration, improving soil quality, and reducing non-point source pollution. Understanding biochar mobility is important because its transport in soil greatly influences its stability, the dynamics of soil microbial communities and organic matter, and the movement of biochar-associated contaminants. Here, the transport of biochar pa...

Fatty acid-induced lipotoxicity plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic liver disease. Saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids have differential effects on cell death and steatosis, but the mechanisms responsible for these differences are not known. Using cultured HepG2 cells and primary mouse hepatocytes, we found that unsaturated and saturated fatty acids different...

BACKGROUND Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is an oxidant agent and this molecule naturally occurs in the body as a product of aerobic metabolism. Geraniol is a plant-derived natural antioxidant. The aim of this study was to determine the role of geraniol on hepatic fatty acids alterations following H2O2-induced oxidative stress in male rats. METHODS After randomization, male Wistar rats were divided...

Cell membranes contain multiple lipid and protein components having heterogeneous in-plane (lateral) distribution. Nanoscale rafts are believed to play an important functional role, but their phase state-domains of coexisting phases or composition fluctuations-is unknown. As a step toward understanding lateral organization of cell membranes, we investigate the difference between nanoscale domai...