Ent-DPPC
2,3-Dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-1-phosphocholine
Ent-DPPC/Ent-2,3-Dipalmitoyl-sn-Glycero-1-Phosphocholine is an enantiomer of the phospholipid DPPC/2,3-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-1-phosphocholine.
Enantiomers are a pair of two molecules existing as mirror forms of one another, and one cannot be overlaid on the other. They have opposite three-dimensional structures.
DPPC is a phospholipid, containing two palmitic acid groups connected to a phosphatidylcholine head group.
The compound is one of the major components of pulmonary surfactants, which are crucial to the process of breathing and prevent alveoli from collapsing during breathing.
DPPC is also widely used in biological research to study cell membranes and lipid bilayers. The phospholipid has been proven as a proton donor, so it can lead a membrane to its protonation state, which results in it being deformed. Thus, DPPC is a compound that destabilizes membranes. It has also shown the ability to increase the fluidity of membranes. Moreover, it enhances membrane transport by forming lamellar structures in membranes and modulating the bilayer.
The enantiomeric form of the lipid, Ent-DPPC, has been found to be involved in cholesterol metabolism. More specifically, Ent-DPPC manifests cholesterol biosynthesis inhibitory effects. Ent-DPPC is also extremely useful in analyses on lipids and their interactions in biological membranes to better understand the structure and properties of the bilayer.
Avanti Lipids creates the highest quality lipids on the market, including Ent-DPPC, for scientific projects in the field of biomedical research.