Orientation of the headgroup of phosphatidylinositol in a model biomembrane as determined by neutron diffraction

Research was conducted to examine the orientation of the headgroup of phosphatidylinositol in a model biomembrane as determined by neutron diffraction. The derivatives of the sodium salt of dimyristoylphosphatidyliositol were synthesized and specifically deuterated in the headgroup. The depth of each deuterium (hydrogen) within the bilayer were determined to be plus or minus 0.5 angstrom which gave the orientation of the inositol ring.