Water and Molecular Exchange in Biological Cells Studied Using ¹H Pulsed Field Gradient NMR

Abstract

This review presents the results of studies of molecular exchange processes in various biological systems (erythrocytes, yeast, liposomes, etc.) performed using pulsed field gradient NMR (PFG NMR). The main theory of processing necessary for the analysis of experimental data is briefly presented: the extraction of self-diffusion coefficients, calculation of cell sizes, and permeability of cell membranes. Attention is paid to the results of assessing the permeability of biological membranes for water molecules and biologically active compounds. The results for other systems are also presented: yeast, chlorella, and plant cells. The results of studies of the lateral diffusion of lipid and cholesterol molecules in model bilayers are also presented.

Keywords

• biological cell
• biological membrane
• pulsed field gradient NMR
• diffusion
• permeability
• lipid bilayers