Cell membranes provide a selective semi-permeable barrier to the passive transport of
molecules. This property differs greatly between organisms. While the cytoplasmic …

We present a fluorescence-based approach for determination of the permeability of small
molecules across the membranes of lipid vesicles and living cells. With properly designed …

Lanosterol is the biosynthetic precursor of cholesterol and ergosterol, sterols that
predominate in the membranes of mammals and lower eukaryotes, respectively. These …

The permeability of lipid membranes for metabolic molecules or drugs is routinely estimated
from the solute's oil/water partition coefficient. However, the molecular determinants that …

Abstract Giant vesicles formed of 1, 2-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and sterols
(cholesterol or ergosterol) in water and water/ethanol solutions have been used to examine …

Carefully controlled solute movement into and out of cells is an essential feature of life.
There are many ways solutes are transported across the thin (~ 40 Å) hydrophobic barrier …

A biological membrane is conceptualized as a system in which membrane proteins are
naturally matched to the equilibrium thickness of the lipid bilayer. Cholesterol, in addition to …

Sterols are essential membrane components of eukaryotic cells and are important for
membrane organization and function. Cholesterol is the most representative sterol present …

The molecular organization of cholesterol in phospholipid bilayers composed of 1, 2-
diarachidonylphosphatidylcholine (20: 4–20: 4PC), 1-stearoyl-2 …

Within the solubility–diffusion model of passive membrane permeation of small molecules,
translocation of the permeant across the biological membrane is traditionally assumed to …