ubiquinone and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylethanolamine

Ubiquinone-10 (Q10) plays a pivotal role as electron-carrier in the mitochondrial respiratory chain, and is also well known for its powerful antioxidant properties. Recent findings suggest moreover that Q10 could have an important membrane stabilizing function. In line with this, we showed in a previous study that Q10 decreases the permeability to carboxyfluorescein (CF) and increases the mechanical strength of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleyl-sn-glycero-phosphocholine (POPC) membranes. In the current study we report on the effects exerted by Q10 in membranes having a more complex lipid composition designed to mimic that of the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM). Results from DPH fluorescence anisotropy and permeability measurements, as well as investigations probing the interaction of liposomes with silica surfaces, corroborate a membrane stabilizing effect of Q10 also in the IMM-mimicking membranes. Comparative investigations examining the effect of Q10 and the polyisoprenoid alcohol solanesol on the IMM model and on membranes composed of individual IMM components suggest, moreover, that Q10 improves the membrane barrier properties via different mechanisms depending on the lipid composition of the membrane. Thus, whereas Q10's inhibitory effect on CF release from pure POPC membranes appears to be directly and solely related to Q10's lipid ordering and condensing effect, a mechanism linked to Q10's ability to amplify intrinsic curvature elastic stress dominates in case of membranes containing high proportions of palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (POPE).

Topics: Adsorption; Biomimetic Materials; Cell Membrane Permeability; Lipid Bilayers; Membrane Lipids; Mitochondrial Membranes; Phosphatidylethanolamines; Terpenes; Ubiquinone

The location of coenzyme Q10 (Q10) inside the inner mitochondrial membrane is a topic of research aiming at a deeper understanding of the function of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. We investigated the location of Q10 inside model membranes made of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine by means of small-angle synchrotron X-ray diffraction. Q10, which stands for ubiquinone-10 (UQ) or ubihydroquinone-10 (UH), did not remarkably influence the main phase transition temperature, but significantly decreased the lamellar-inverse hexagonal phase transition temperature (T(h)). The effect of UH on T(h) was stronger than the effect of UQ and the effect of liquid Q10 on T(h) was stronger than the effect of crystalline Q10. In the presence of Q10, the lattice parameters of the lamellar phases remained unchanged, whereas the H II lattice parameter was clearly influenced: While UQ had an increasing effect, UH had a decreasing effect. Furthermore, Q10 prevented the formation of cubic phases. The results give new evidence that the headgroup of Q10 is distant from the center of the membrane, which might be important for the function of the mitochondrial respiratory chain.

Topics: Lipid Bilayers; Phosphatidylethanolamines; Scattering, Small Angle; Ubiquinone; X-Ray Diffraction