Lipids homeoviscous adaptation

Sinensky, M. (1974) Homeoviscous adaptation - a homeostatic process thatregulates the viscosity of membrane lipids in Escherichia coli. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the, 71 (2), 522-525. 

The earliest general model of adaptation to temperature in membrane lipids focused on the physical state ( static order or viscosity [= 1 / fluidity ]) of the bilayer. The finding that the physical state of membrane lipids from Escherichia coli cultured at different temperatures was similar at the different growth temperatures led to the homeoviscous adaptation hypothesis, which states that lipid composition is modified during thermal acclimation to facilitate retention of a relatively stable membrane physical state (Sinensky, 1974). At the outset of any discussion of homeoviscous adaptation, it is important to examine carefully what is meant by physical state (or the related terms static order, viscosity, and fluidity ). In such an analysis, one must also consider the physical methods that are used to make such measurements—and the limitations of these techniques. 

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