The present study investigates a multicomponent lipid system that simulates the neuronal grey matter membrane, employing molecular acoustics as a precise, straightforward, and cost-effective methodology. Given the significance of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the functionality of cellular membranes, this research examines the effects of reducing 1-palmitoyl-2-docosahexaenoylphosphatylcholine (PDPC) content on the compressibility and elasticity of the proposed membrane under physiological conditions. Our results align with bibliographic data obtained through other techniques, showing that as the proportion of PDPC increases in the grey matter membrane model, the system’s compressibility decreases, and the membrane’s elasticity increases, as evidenced by the reduction in the bulk modulus. These results could be interpreted in light of the emerging model of lipid rafts, in which esterified DHA infiltrates and remodels their architecture. We contend that the results obtained may serve as a bridge between biophysics and cellular biology.

In this study, we present a multicomponent lipid model membrane composed of six lipids, in-cluding cholesterol, which represent the structure of neuronal membranes found in grey matter. To our knowledge, no previous studies have attempted a model like this. We constructed our model membranes using an esterified form of the most abundant polyunsaturated fatty acid found in grey matter: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). It is the most prevalent fatty acid in the brain and is essential for maintaining cellular structural integrity, acting as a major phospholipid in neural membranes. The aim of this work is to analyse the effects that different proportions of DHA have on the proposed membrane model. For this purpose, transmission electron microscopy, zeta potential, and molecular acoustics were used. The results showed differences that may be attributable to the influence DHA has on the nanodomains of sphingomyelin and cholesterol.