Cs. Bangur et al., THYROID-HORMONE TREATMENT ALTERS PHOSPHOLIPID-COMPOSITION AND MEMBRANE FLUIDITY OF RAT-BRAIN MITOCHONDRIA, Biochemical journal, 305, 1995, pp. 29-32
We examined effects of graded doses of thyroid hormones 3,3',5-tri-iod
o-L-thyronine (T-3) and L-thyroxine (T-4) on the lipid composition of
rat brain mitochondria. Neither hormone significantly affected the mit
ochondrial cholesterol or total phospholipid content, but did increase
phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) at the expense of phosphatidylserine (P
S), phosphatidylinositol (PI) and phosphatidylcholine (PC). The phosph
atidic acid (PA) content was also elevated, suggesting enhanced phosph
olipid turnover. Changes in sphingomyelin (SPM) and diphosphatidylglyc
erol (DPG) were minimal. Mitochondrial membrane fluidity also increase
d after thyroid-hormone treatment, and the increase was closely correl
ated with PC/PE and SPM/PE molar ratios.