Photophysics of phenylalanine analogues

l-Phenylalanine Partitioning Mechanisms in Model Biological Membranes

Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy in combination with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to study the chemical interactions that occur when l-phenylalanine is introduced to solutions containing phosphatidylcholine vesicles. Studies reported in this work address open questions about l-Phe's affinity for lipid vesicle bilayers, the effects of l-Phe partitioning on bilayer properties, l-Phe's solvation within a lipid bilayer, and the amount of l-Phe within that local solvation environment. DSC data show that l-Phe reduces the amount of heat necessary to melt saturated phosphatidylcholine bilayers from their gel to liquid-crystalline state but does not change the transition temperature (T_gel-lc). Time-resolved emission shows only a single l-Phe lifetime at low temperatures corresponding to l-Phe remaining solvated in aqueous solution. At temperatures close to T_gel-lc, a second, shorter lifetime appears that is assigned to l-Phe already embedded within the membrane that becomes hydrated as water starts to permeate the lipid bilayer. This new lifetime is attributed to a conformationally restricted rotamer in the bilayer's polar headgroup region and accounts for up to 30% of the emission amplitude. Results reported for dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC, 16:0) lipid vesicles prove to be general, with similar effects observed for dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC, 14:0) and distearoylphosphatidylcholine (DSPC, 18:0) vesicles. Taken together, these results create a complete and compelling picture of how l-Phe associates with model biological membranes. Furthermore, this approach to examining amino acid partitioning into membranes and the resulting solvation forces points to new strategies for studying the structure and chemistry of membrane-soluble peptides and selected membrane proteins.

Excited-state deactivation mechanisms of protonated and neutral phenylalanine: a theoretical study

Minimum energy paths (MEPs) of protonated phenylalanine (PheH⁺) at the electronic ground and S₁ (¹ππ*) excited states along the C_α–C_β bond stretching coordinate, following proton transfer to the aromatic chromophore.

Structural melting of an amino acid dimer upon intersystem crossing

We present a spectroscopic investigation of the excited-state dynamics of the phenylalanine (Phe)/serine (Ser) protonated dimer in the gas phase. Using an ultraviolet (UV) laser pulse, we promote individual isomers to the S1 state and probe their fate with an infrared (IR) pulse. We find that the S1 state has a lifetime of ~70 ns and undergoes intersystem crossing (ISC) to the T1 state. Time-resolved IR spectra allow us to follow the structural evolution of the dimer. In the S1 state, the different isomers retain the hydrogen-bonding pattern of the ground state. Intersystem crossing triggers a sudden increase of the vibrational energy, so that the dimers can overcome isomerization barriers and explore large parts of the potential energy surface (PES). Their broad IR spectra largely resemble one another and indicate that the dimers adopt a molten structure.

Fluorescence of Zn-Al-Eu ternary layered hydroxide response to phenylalanine

We reported the fluorescence of a Zn-Al-Eu ternary layered double hydroxide (LDH) response to an amino acid (phenylalanine) for the first time. As shown in fluorescence, the red emissions attributed to (5)D(0)-(7)F(J) transitions (J=1, 2, 3, 4) of Eu(3+) ions were quenched by the phenylalanine (Phe), and a strong blue emission at around 445 nm appeared. The fluorescent changes may be due to ligand-to-metal charges transfer, which was caused by the interaction between the Zn-Al-Eu LDH and Phe. This interaction was manifested by markedly different chemical shift positions of the Zn 3p(3/2), Al 2p, Eu 4d(3/2), O 1s, and C 1s peaks in the XPS spectra from those of the Zn-Al-Eu LDH and Zn-Al-Eu/Phe composite. Furthermore, the interaction between the LDH and Phe was supported by the results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra, and thermogravimetric and differential thermogravimetric (TG-DTG) analysis. The fluorescence of Zn-Al-Eu LDH response to Phe may be potential application in biological techniques.

Influence of near-infrared radiation on the pKa values of L-phenylalanine

The effect of pH on L-phenylalanine (L-phe) before and after exposure to near-infrared (NIR) radiation (15 min, 700-2000 nm) was investigated by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. Characteristic bands of L-phe were described and the pK(a) values were retrieved from IR spectra by using an intensity ratio method according to our recent paper (Olsztynska et al., Appl. Spectrosc. 55, 901 (2001)). It has been found that the irradiation process modifies pK(a) values of L-phe. The spectroscopic study clearly shows the shift of acid-base equilibrium after exposure to NIR radiation. The phenomenon is due to modification of the water structure. Intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds weaken, which could induce conformational changes of the phe molecule. Subsequently, hydrophobic interactions strongly increase. These processes favor aggregation of phe molecules, which leads to deprotonation of the -NH(3)(+) to -NH(2) group and protonation of the -COO(-) to -COOH group, changing the pK(a) values.

Influence of the separation of the charged groups and aromatic ring on interaction of tyrosine and phenylalanine analogues and derivatives with β-cyclodextrin

Interactions of tyrosine and phenylalanine analogues with beta-cyclodextrin have been examined in terms of structural features of the ligand such as the separation of the charged amino group and aromatic ring, the presence of additional functional group attached to the amino or phenyl ring, and the presence of a charge on amino or carboxyl group, and steric effects using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy and microcalorimetry. The studied aromatic amino acids possess low binding constant to beta-cyclodextrin, diversified with respect to the presence or absence of a substituent in para position of the phenyl ring. However, calculated, based on the global analysis of the fluorescence intensity decays, binding constants do not allow to estimate unequivocally the influence of the distance between the charged groups and phenol/phenyl ring on the inclusion complex stability because of their low diversification.