Figure 2.

The physical interaction between cholesterol, sphingolipids and transmembrane proteins

Cholesterol physically interacts with sphingolipids and the transmembrane component of proteins. Cholesterol possesses an α smooth surface, which permits it to interact with sphingolipids, while the β rough surface (due to methyl groups on carbon 10 and 13 and the iso‐octyl chain link to carbon 17) facilitates insertion into the helices of transmembrane proteins. Due to its dissymmetrical physical properties, one molecule of cholesterol can interact with two distinct membrane molecules, such as sphingolipids and transmembrane proteins, within raft microdomains. This serves to create a more liquid ordered membrane parameter (i.e. decreased fluidity) characteristic of MLR.