Probing lipid-cholesterol interactions in DOPC/eSM/Chol and DOPC/DPPC/Chol model lipid rafts with DSC and (13)C solid-state NMR.

The interaction between cholesterol (Chol) and phospholipids in bilayers was investigated for the ternary model lipid rafts, DOPC/eSM/Chol and DOPC/DPPC/Chol, with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and (13)C cross polarization magic angle spinning (CP-MAS) solid-state NMR. The enthalpy and transition temperature (Tm) of the Lα liquid crystalline phase transition from DSC was used to probe the thermodynamics of the different lipids in the two systems as a function of Chol content. The main chain (13)C (CH2)n resonance is resolved in the (13)C CP-MAS NMR spectra for the unsaturated (DOPC) and saturated (eSM or DPPC) chain lipid in the ternary lipid raft mixtures. The (13)C chemical shift of this resonance can be used to detect differences in chain ordering and overall interactions with Chol for the different lipid constituents in the ternary systems. The combination of DSC and (13)C CP-MAS NMR results indicate that there is a preferential interaction between SM and Chol below Tm for the DOPC/eSM/Chol system when the Chol content is ≤20mol%. In contrast, no preferential interaction between Chol and DPPC is observed in the DOPC/DPPC/Chol system above or below Tm. Finally, (13)C CP-MAS NMR resolves two Chol environments in the DOPC/eSM/Chol system below Tm at Chol contents >20mol% while, a single Chol environment is observed for DOPC/DPPC/Chol at all compositions.