Prototropism of 1-hydroxypyrene in liposome suspensions: implications towards fluorescence probing of lipid bilayers in alkaline medium (original) (raw)

Bimodal Distribution and Fluorescence Response of Environment-Sensitive Probes in Lipid Bilayers

Biophysical Journal, 2004

A remarkable heterogeneity is often observed in the spectroscopic properties of environment-sensitive fluorescence probes in phospholipid bilayers. To explain its origin, we provided a detailed investigation of the fluorescence excitation and emission spectra of 4#-dimethylamino-3-hydroxyflavone (probe F) in bilayer vesicles with the variations of fatty acid composition, polar heads, temperature, and cholesterol content. Probe F, due to excited-state intramolecular proton transfer, exhibits two bands in emission that are differently sensitive to intermolecular interactions-thereby allowing us to distinguish universal (dipole-dipole) and specific (H-bonding) interactions within the bilayer. Spectroscopic, quenching, and anisotropy data suggest the presence of two forms of probe F at different locations in the bilayer: an H-bond free form located below sn 1 -carbonyls and an H-bonded form located at the polar membrane interface. We provide a quantitative analysis of the distribution of the probe between these two locations as well as the polarity of these locations, and show that both the distribution and the polarity contribute to the probe response. Moreover, analysis of literature data on other environment-sensitive probes (Prodan, Laurdan, Nile Red, NBD lipids, etc.) in lipid bilayers allows us to suggest that the bimodal distribution in the lipid bilayer is probably a general feature of low-polar molecules with polar groups capable of H-bonding interactions.

Temperature, pressure and cholesterol effects on bilayer fluidity; a comparison of pyrene excimer/monomer ratios with the steady-state fluorescence polarization of diphenylhexatriene in liposomes and microsomes

Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta - Biomembranes, 1988

Pyrene exeimer/monomer (E/M) ratios have been compared with the steady-state fluorescence polarization (P) of diphenylhexatriene (DPH) in muitUameilar liposomes of dilauryiphosphatidyicholine and rat liver microsomes. The purpose was to use the well-understood properties of DPH to reveal the nature of bilayer fluidity which pyrene manifests as an E/M ratio. Reducing the temperature (from 37°C to 8°C), increasing the hydrostatic pressure (from 0.1 to 70 MPa), and, in iiposomes, cholesterol enrichment (up to 0.30 mole fraction) separately decreased the E/M ratios and increased P. The pyrene membrane/buffer partition coefficient was affected by temperature but not by pressure, and in the case of cholesterol enrichment, it was assumed to be unaffected. Plots of P as a function of the ElM ratio showed the two to be closely correlated (r = 0.99 in iiposomes and 0.96 in microsomes), independent of the treatment used to reduce fluidity. The apparent activation volume and enthalpy for excimer formation was calculated and compared with published data. Pyrene E/M ratios probably reflect the intermolecular volume (fluidity) of the outer region of the bilayer, which is reduced by a decrease in temperature and an increase in pressure and cholesterol. DPH reports the bilayer interior, which is similarly ordered by the experimental treatments. The regional distinction between the two probes, however, accounts for the divergence of ElM ratios and P, which has been reported in membranes enriched with fluidizing fatty acids.

Fluorescence spectroscopic studies on phase heterogeneity in lipid bilayer membranes

Journal of Fluorescence, 2001

There is a growing interest in functional membrane heterogeneity on the mesoscopic (several tens to hundreds of molecular dimensions) scale. However, the physical-chemical basis for this sort of heterogeneity in membranes is not entirely clear. Unambiguous methods to demonstrate that the cell plasma membrane and other cellular membranes are in fact heterogeneous on the mesoscopic level are also not generally available. Fluorescence techniques do, however, provide excellent tools for this purpose. In particular, the emerging techniques of scanning near-field optical microscopy and single-molecule fluorescence microscopy hold a great deal of promise for the near-future. All these methods require the use of fluorescent probes (lipids and/or proteins) and a clear definition of how these probes partition between domains of coexisting membrane phases. The development of the concept of membrane heterogeneity over the years since the first proposal of the "fluid mosaic" model is reviewed briefly. The use of lipid-binding proteins in experimental protocols for the labeling of membranes with fluorescent lipid amphiphiles as monomers in aqueous solutions at concentrations well above their critical aggregation concentrations is discussed. The methods of fluorescence spectroscopy available to the cell biologist for determining probe partition coefficients for partitioning between coexisting membrane phases are reviewed in some detail, as is the relevant theoretical and experimental work reported in the literature.

Monitoring Biophysical Properties of Lipid Membranes by Environment-Sensitive Fluorescent Probes

Biophysical Journal, 2009

We review the main trends in the development of fluorescence probes to obtain information about the structure, dynamics, and interactions in biomembranes. These probes are efficient for studying the microscopic analogs of viscosity, polarity, and hydration, as well as the molecular order, environment relaxation, and electrostatic potentials at the sites of their location. Progress is being made in increasing the information content and spatial resolution of the probe responses. Multichannel environment-sensitive probes that can distinguish between different membrane physicochemical properties through multiple spectroscopic parameters show considerable promise.

Fluorescence Behavior of the pH-Sensitive Probe Carboxy SNARF-1 in Suspension of Liposomes¶

When exposed to the intracellular environment fluorescent probes sensitive to pH exhibit changes of photophysical characteristics as a result of an interaction of the dye molecule with cell constituents such as proteins, lipids or nucleic acids. This effect is reflected in calibration curves different from those found with the same dye in pure buffer solutions. To study an interaction of the probe 5(and 6)-carboxy-10-dimethylamino-3-hydroxyspiro[7H-benzo[c]xanthene-7,1(3H)-isobenzofuran]-3one (carboxy SNARF-1) with membrane lipids, we measured its fluorescence in model systems of large unilamellar vesicles (LUV) prepared by extrusion. When the dye was removed from the bulk solution by gel filtration the relative fluorescence intensity of the lipid-bound dye form was enhanced, showing a strong interaction of the dye molecule with LUV membrane lipids. Surprisingly, the dye molecules seem to be bound predominantly to the outer surface of the lipid bilayer. The same situation was found with small unilamellar vesicles prepared by sonication. This effect makes it difficult to use carboxy SNARF-1 for measurements of the internal pH in suspensions of liposomes.

Fluorescence Polarization Study on the Dynamics and Location of Peroxidized Fluorescent Phospholipids in Liposomes

Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 1996

gested to have a chemical structure in which the angle between the absorption and emission dipole moments Motional properties of fluorescent substances prois very large. On the basis of these observations, the duced by lipid peroxidation by a time-resolved fluoproduction pathway of fluorophores in oxidized memrescence polarization technique were studied. When branes is discussed. ᭧ 1996 Academic Press, Inc. liposomes containing phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) Key Words: amino phospholipid; anisotropy; fluoand linoleic hydrocarbon chain were incubated at rescence; liposome, peroxidation. 37ЊC, fluorophores absorbing maximally at 360 nm and emitting near 430 nm were produced. Their fluorescence anisotropy decay measured at 23ЊC was fitted well with a sum of a fast relaxation and a time-inde-Lipid peroxidation alters several physical properties pendent residual term. With the increase of oxidation of biomembranes. For example, membrane proteins are degree, the time constant of the relaxation term incrosslinked, and their rotational and translateral mocreased. This may be explained by alteration in the bility is decreased (1). In the lipid domain, lipid peroximembrane structure or by modification of the fluoresdation causes an enhancement of flip-flop movements cent products themselves. Information on the location of phospholipids (2, 3), influences polymorphic phase of the fluorescent products was obtained when their behavior of lipids (4), and alters the membrane fluidity motional property was compared with those of various (5, 6). In addition, peroxidation can inactivate enzymes extrinsic probes that were incorporated at different and cause structural abnormalities of biomembranes. positions of the lipid bilayer. It was found that the Some of the abnormalities are concomitant with formamotional property of the fluorescent oxidation prodtion of fluorescent substances, which are produced ucts is similar to that of 1-(4-trimethylammoniummostly by the reaction of lipid oxidation products with phenyl)-6-phenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene, a rod-shaped hyprimary amino compounds. This reaction has been drophobic probe with a charged terminal. Other shown to be responsible for the accumulation of fluoprobes sensing the polar region or the hydrophobic rescent pigments in aged cells (7, 8). region of the membrane were characterized by a lower So far, three types of model reactions have been proorder parameter. It is suggested that the fluorescent posed to describe production of fluorescent substances oxidation products have a polar moiety located at the by peroxidation in the presence of amino compounds: membrane surface and attached to the amino group of PE while the tail part being buried in the hydrophobic (1) malondialdehyde (MDA), 2 one of the major products region of the membrane. This picture is supported by fluorescence quenching experiments with the aqueous

Interaction of the fluorescent probe N-(lissamine rhodamine B sulfonyl)dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine with phosphatidylcholine bilayers

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Biomembranes, 1988

The sudace density of the fluorescent probe N-(lissamine Rbodamine B sulfonyl)dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine is the same in the two lipid leaflets of phosphatidylcholine bilayers containing the probe. In the liquid-crystalline state, the probe molecules aggregate above a threshold amount, approximately 0.2 mol/mol phospholipids. Above this threshold value, the surface density of the free probe molecules is constant, and all probe molecules added are incorporated in the aggregated form. The aggregation of the probe increases by approximately 20% when the medium pH is lowered to 4. In the gel state, the probe aggregation is higher than tlmt in the liquid-crystalline state, and the free probe molecules distribute unevenly in the bilayer surface. Even though the results obtained in our model system cannot be directly extrapolated to all model systems, we point out that care is to be taken in the use of the probe. In fact, only in membranes in the liquid-crystalline state in which the amount of probe molecules to phospholipid molecules is lower than 1 : 7 the fluorescence response of the probe is independent of the pH changes and of the molecular aggregation.

The response of fluorescent amines to pH gradients across liposome membranes

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Biomembranes, 1972

Phospholipid liposomes were used to test atebrin and 9-aminoacridine as fluorescent probes for measuring pH gradients across membranes. Quenching of 9-aminoacridine fluorescence could be quantitatively related to the magnitude of pH gradients across liposome ...

Flavonols - new fluorescent membrane probes for studying the interdigitation of lipid bilayers

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Biomembranes, 1998

Two flavonols, 3-hydroxy-4'-dimethylaminoflavone (FME) and 3-hydroxy-4'-(15-azacrown-5) flavone (FRC) have been investigated as new fluorescence probes for studying the formation of the interdigitated gel phase in lipid bilayers. The formation of the interdigitated gel phase in the saturated symmetrical phosphatidylcholines (PCs) and phosphatidylethanol (Peth) in the presence of ethanol has been well studied. The present study examines the behavior of these new probes in PC-ethanol and Peth-ethanol systems, as well as in PC-cholesterol and Peth-cholesterol vesicles. The present results demonstrate that both flavonols give distinctively different spectra in interdigitated lipids compared to non-interdigitated lipids, when examined in lipids in which the interdigitation behavior is known. This makes them useful for determinations of the structural state of unknown lipids, and for following the transitions between interdigitated and non-interdigitated phases. However, in the presence of cholesterol, only FCR gave appropriate indications of interdigitation. The results with FME in the presence of cholesterol were not consistent with the known behavior of the lipids examined; instead, FME appears to be located preferentially in the cholesterol-rich non-interdigitated regions of the bilayer.