We synthesized a family of sterol-modified glycerophospholipids (SML) in which the sn-1 or sn-2 position is covalently attached to cholesterol and the alternative position contains an aliphatic chain. The SML were used to explore how anchoring cholesterol to a phospholipid affects cholesterol behavior in a bilayer. Notably, cholesterol in the SML retains the membrane condensing properties of free cholesterol regardless of the chemistry or ...
