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. 2007 Jan 19;92(8):2831–2841. doi: 10.1529/biophysj.106.095422

FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 6

Proposed model of partition behavior of cholesterol and the effect of cholesterol at GalCer domain edges in (a) DLPC/GalCer/chol mixtures, (b) POPC/GalCer/chol mixtures, and (c) DOPC/GalCer/chol mixtures. In DLPC/GalCer/chol mixtures, cholesterol partitions in the fluid phase region only, whereas in POPC/ or DOPC/GalCer/chol mixtures, cholesterol partitions in both fluid regions and GalCer domains. The effect of cholesterol at the domain interface is depicted in the magnified part of the bilayers. Cholesterol may extend DLPC or POPC at the domain perimeter such that the domain line tension is lowered. Interaction between cholesterol and DOPC is so weak that this extension is unlikely to be pronounced enough to have an impact on domain line tension.