Fig. 2.

This schematic drawing indicates that the acyl chain unsaturation and oxidative stress (formation of phospholipid peroxides) are the major factors decreasing the Chol content at which CBDs and Chol crystals start to form. In a bilayer made of saturated phospholipids (e.g., modeling the human eye lens membrane), CBDs, and Chol crystals start to form when the Chol content exceeds ~50 and ~66 mol% Chol, respectively (a). In a bilayer made of polyunsaturated phospholipids (dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine), CBDs are observed at ~37 mol% (b). Autoxidation of this bilayer suspension induces formation of Chol crystals (c). This figure is reproduced from ref. [18], Copyright 2019, with permission from Taylor & Francis