Transversal distribution of Acyl-linked pyrene moieties in liquid-crystalline phosphatidylcholine bilayers. A fluorescence quenching study

The transverse distribution of a pyrene moiety which binds to the terminal methylene unit of a phospholipid acyl chain is identified by the length and conformation of the linked chain, which increased the usefulness of the pyrenyl phospholipids for the localization of other fluorophores by using the resonance energy transfer technique. The pyrene moiety showed no intrinsic tendency on the bilayer surface which causes it to force the acyl chains into a distorted conformation.