THE PROPERTIES OF THE BIOMEMBRANE LIPID P HASE OPTIMIZATION TO HIGH-PRESSURE

The hypothesis of homeoviscous adaptation extended to another (except viscosity) physical properties of membranes arises the problem of the regulation of several membrane properties under environmental changes. The existance of limitations on the lipid composition required for ma intaining membrane polarity and viscosity at constant levels, were dem onstrated for model membranes (liposomes from egg yolk lecithin and ch olesterol) at the varying hydrostatic pressure (0 - 600 atm). It is as sumed that similar limitations can determine the features of the lipid compositions of biological membranes.