Interactions between membrane sterols and phospholipids in model mammalian and fungi cellular membranes — A Langmuir monolayer study

Abstract This paper is aimed at investigating sterol/phospholipid interactions in the exact proportion that occurs in fungi/mammalian cells. We have performed a thorough analysis of surface pressure ( π )–area ( A ) isotherms with the Langmuir monolayer technique, complemented with Brewster angle microscopy (BAM) images. The following mixtures were analysed: cholesterol (Chol)–dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC), Chol–dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine (DOPC), ergosterol (Erg)–DPPC, and Erg–DOPC. For each system, two different concentrations of the sterols were used, 13 and 30%, corresponding to the range of concentration found in various natural membranes. The obtained results show the existence of attractive interactions between phospholipids and cholesterol. Mixtures with ergosterol behave quite differently, i.e. either the interactions are repulsive (mixtures with DPPC) or the system is ideal (mixtures with DOPC). The obtained results have implications in the polyene antibiotics mode of action, i.e. the polyenes may interact easier with ergosterol, present in fungi cells, as compared to cholesterol — the main sterol of the mammalian cellular membranes.