INTERCONVERSION OF BILAYER PHASE-TRANSITION TEMPERATURES BETWEEN PHOSPHATIDYLETHANOLAMINES AND PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINES

High-resolution differential scanning calorimetric studies were performed to investigate the thermotropic phase behavior of 31 molecular species of phosphatidylethanolamines in excess water. Upon reheating, the aqueous dispersions of these lipids undergo the gel to liquid-crystalline phase transitions at well defined temperatures (T-m). These T-m values were shown to relate to the structural parameters of the underlying lipid molecules in a characteristic manner. Based on these observations, an interconversion of the T-m values between saturated phosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylchoIines is established quantitatively for the first time.