1. On the importance of chain branching in tear film lipid layer wax and cholesteryl esters
- Author
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Tuomo Viitaja, Jan-Erik Raitanen, Antti Hynynen, Jukka Moilanen, Kirsi Svedström, Riku O. Paananen, Filip S. Ekholm, Department of Chemistry, Silmäklinikka, HUS Head and Neck Center, Faculty of Science, Department of Physics, and Clinicum
- Subjects
Structural elucidation ,HUMAN MEIBUM ,116 Chemical sciences ,Biophysics ,PHYSICAL-PROPERTIES ,MONOLAYERS ,Esters ,Surfaces and Interfaces ,General Medicine ,Lipids ,EVAPORATION ,HYDROXY FATTY-ACIDS ,Colloid and Surface Chemistry ,X-RAY-DIFFRACTION ,SURFACE PHASE ,Tears ,Tear film lipid layer ,MEIBOMIAN GLAND ,WATER ,lipids (amino acids, peptides, and proteins) ,Chemical synthesis ,Cholesterol Esters ,Physical and Theoretical Chemistry ,BEHAVIOR ,Biotechnology - Abstract
The tear film lipid layer (TFLL) is important to the maintenance of ocular surface health. Surprisingly, information on the individual roles of the myriad of unique lipids found therein is limited. The most abundant lipid species are the wax esters (WE) and cholesteryl esters (CE), and, especially their branched analogs. The isolation of these lipid species from the TFLL has proved to be tedious, and as a result, insights on their biophysical profiles and role in the TFLL is currently lacking. Herein, we circumvent these issues by a total synthesis of the most abundant iso-methyl branched WEs and CEs found in the TFLL. Through a detailed characterization of the biophysical properties, by the use of Langmuir monolayer and wide-angle X-ray scattering techniques, we demonstrate that chain branching alters the behavior of these lipid species on multiple levels. Taken together, our results fill an important knowledge gap concerning the structure and function of the TFLL on the whole.
- Published
- 2022
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