Figure 1.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids increase membrane fluidity and facilitate incorporation of essential membrane bound proteins required for synapse and lipid raft formation A) Saturated fatty acids and cholesterol pack tightly to form a more rigid and less fluid lipid bilayer. B) Double-bond formation in polyunsaturated fatty acids creates a “bend” in the fatty acid tail that prevents the tight packing of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol leading to increased membrane fluidity and incorporation of integral synaptic proteins.