Magnetic orientation of sphingomyelin-lecithin bilayers.

Phospholipid bilayers consisting of a 60:40 mixture of N-palmitoylsphingomyelin and dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine orient in a strong magnetic field. The orientation is easily observed in 31P- and 2H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectra where the intensity of the perpendicular edges of the powder lineshapes are enhanced. The lineshapes indicate that the long axis of the molecule is perpendicular to the magnetic field.