Palmitate (C16:0) was importantly increased, which could be an adaptation of the cell in order to maintain a normal membrane fluidity, by replacing unsaturated FAs, which dropped from 49% to 33 34%, by shorter saturated FAs; a similar effect was previously also found in T. cruzi [13].
Azoles act on ergosterol biosynthesis at the C-14-demethylation stage, and the resulting ergosterol depletion and accumulation of 14-methylated sterols interferes with the functions of ergosterol as a membrane component, altering the normal permeability and fluidity of the fungal membrane [2].
LPS plays an important role in the normal physiology, permeability and fluidity of the bacterial outer cell wall.
Crushed sand was thought as a substitute and previous research has been focused on low fluidity and normal compressive strength (24 30 MPa).
This indicates that not only fluidity but a normal content in one of the membrane components (linoleate) could be essential for such functionality.
As shown in Figure 3A, the unexposed control cells remained smooth and flat and also exhibited a cell surface evenly covered by microvillar structures that are well extended with small lamellapodia, indicating the fluidity and motility of normal cells.
From the theory of U-statistics it is known that the estimated fluidity has approximately a normal distribution [ 41].
Sterols facilitate normal membrane function by controlling their fluidity, but they have also been implicated as ligands for nuclear receptors directly affecting transcription and signal transduction pathways [ 51].
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of four phenolic compounds (ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, quercetin and cyanidin 3-glucoside) on cholesterol concentration, lipid peroxidation and membranes fluidity in hypercholesterolemic and normal erythrocytes.
Interestingly, the growth phenotype of the RNAi-induced cells was similar to that found for thiastearate-treated trypanosomes, with the former cells growing twofold slower than the latter ones, indicating that the linoleate content itself and not only fluidity could be essential for normal membrane functionality.
