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Phospholipid Asymmetry in Biological Membranes: Is the Role of Phosphatidylethanolamine Underappreciated?

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Abstract

The asymmetric distribution of phospholipids in cell membranes has been the focus of a lot of important research keeping its biological importance in mind. Most of this research is focused on phosphatidylserine (PS) since it is an apoptotic marker, and there is a robust and easy method available its selective quantification. The aim of this commentary is to argue in favour of another highly abundant membrane lipid, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) almost always associated with PS. PE has one of the smallest headgroups and shows distinctly asymmetric transbilayer distribution. It is a neutral aminophospholipid and capable of a vastly wider range of interactions as seen in its unique ability to act as a molecular chaperone, implicated role in disease biology and its possible role as an anti-cancer target. There are ample evidences to the fact that PE may also bind to Annexin V (ANV), the PS-specific probe, at higher than 10 mol% PE concentrations and absence of Ca2+ ions. An update of the major takeaways from the literature regarding PE asymmetry is also provided.

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Abbreviations

PC:

Phosphatidylcholine

SM:

Sphingomyelin

PE:

Phosphatidylethanolamine

PS:

Phosphatidylserine

SUV:

Small unilamellar vesicles

TNBS:

2,4,6-Trinitrobenzenesulphonate

ANV:

Annexin V

K d :

Apparent binding dissociation constant

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Acknowledgements

The author would like to acknowledge Dipayan Bose for a critical reading of the manuscript and G Aditya Kumar for making the graphical representation of the proposed model. The work was funded by the Department of Atomic Energy, Govt. of India.

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  1. Crystallography and Molecular Biology Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, HBNI, 1/AF Bidhannagar, Kolkata, 700064, India

    Abhijit Chakrabarti

  2. Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, 400094, India

    Abhijit Chakrabarti

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Chakrabarti, A. Phospholipid Asymmetry in Biological Membranes: Is the Role of Phosphatidylethanolamine Underappreciated?. J Membrane Biol 254, 127–132 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00232-020-00163-w

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