Molecular Dynamic Simulations of the Fatty Acid Bilayer Containing Very Long Chain Transmembrane Dicarboxylic Acids

Recent research results regarding the very long chain transmembrane ${\alpha},{\omega}-dicarboxylic$ components in the membrane of extremophilic eubacteria, such as Sarcina ventriculi, Thennotoga maritima, and Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus have raised interesting questions concerning the physical and biochemical function on these components in the membrane. In order to understand the dynamic characteristics of these acids which reside in the bilayer membrane, 580 ps molecular dynamic simulations at 300 K were performed for two model systems. These systems were the bilayer with regular chain (C16:0 or C18:1) fatty acid methyl esters and the fatty acid bilayer containing very long chain transmembrane dicarboxylic acid methyl esters (${\alpha},{\omega}-15,16-dimethyltriacotane-dioate$ dimethyl ester; C32:0). Our analyses indicate that very long chain transmembrane dicarboxylic acids have a noticeable influence on the bilayer dynamics at a sub-nanosecond time scale. The center-ofmass mean-squared-displacement (MSD) of regular chain fatty acids adjacent to the very long chain transmembrane dicarboxylic acids decreased, the long-axis order parameter increased, and the reorientational motions of methylene groups were slowed along the hydrocarbon chains. These results indicate that the very long chain transmembrane dicarboxylic acids reduce the molecular order of the whole bilayer membrane.