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. 2017 Jun 11;112(11):2336–2347. doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.04.046

Figure 1.

Figure 1

Membrane cholesterol generates physical barriers and alters the distribution of oxygen. (A) Electron density profiles reflect increasing cholesterol (Chol) content. For clarity, curves are displaced vertically by increments of 0.05 e−/Å3 (or 0.10 e−/Å3 for 100% Chol). (B) This simulation snapshot features a bilayer composed of 50% cholesterol (white carbons) and POPC phospholipid (gray carbons). O2 is shown as red spheres and water as cyan dots. H atoms are omitted for clarity. PyMOL was used for imaging (83). Blue circles indicate O2 molecules located in the sub-headgroup surface region. (C) Cholesterol content influences the local O2 concentration, which has been normalized to 200 μM in the water. Curves are displaced vertically by 1000 μM and smoothed slightly. Data are shown for one simulation trajectory per bilayer composition. To see this figure in color, go online.