INFLUENCE OF CARBON NANOTUBE ON CHOLESTEROL LODGMENT: MOLECULAR DYNAMICS SIMULATION

The dynamics of cholesterol molecules embedded between phospholipids in a cell membrane as well as those forming an ultrathin layer (lodgment) around an extracellular domain protein has been studied via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We have also investigated the impact of an armchair (10, 10) carbon nanotube on the nanosystems studied. We have shown that the presence of a nanotube even quite close to the cell membrane does not destroy the cholesterol phospholipid system structure, i.e. it is neutral for the membrane functioning. On the other hand, the carbon nanotube influences. the motion of cholesterol molecules forming a layer developed over the surface of a protein.