The conformational behaviour of phosphatidylinositol

The temperature dependence of the 1H-NMR spectrum of phosphatidylinositol (PI) in d6-dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) shows that the hydroxy groups at C2 and at C6 of the inositol ring are internally hydrogen-bonded. This probably implies a trans/gauche conformation for the phosphate/inositol linkage. The presence of a trans phosphate-alkyl-oxygen bond is confirmed by 31P-NMR studies. If the conformation of PI in membranes is the same as that in DMSO solution, this implies that the inositol ring points out into the aqueous phase with its C1/C4 axis almost perpendicular to the membrane surface. Progress is also reported in attempts to characterise headgroup orientation and dynamics by 2H-NMR using deuterated synthetic PI, prepared by the route devised by Ward, J.G. and Young, R.C. (Tetrahedron Lett. 29 (1988) 6013-6016).