Electron diffraction structure analysis of phospholipids.

The use of lamellar electron diffraction data from epitaxially oriented phospholipid crystals for quantitative structure analysis is described in this review of the technique. It is seen that an appropriate correction for crystal texture, which is justified by the analysis of low-dose lattice images, enables these intensity data to be used much as they would be used in X-ray crystallography. Analyses of two classes of phospholipids are reviewed, revealing that the recently determined lamellar structures of ether-linked phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine and quite similar to the acyl-chain structures. Preliminary analysis of 1,2-dihexadecyl-sn-glycerophospho-N-methyl ethanolamine indicates that the headgroup conformation may be similar to that of the ether-linked lecithin.