Molecular Interaction of Rifabutin on Model Lung Surfactant Monolayers

Serine-based surfactants as effective antimicrobial agents against multiresistant bacteria

The antimicrobial activity of two serine derived gemini cationic surfactants, amide (12Ser)₂CON12 and ester (12Ser)₂COO12, was tested using sensitive, E. coli ATCC 25922 and S. aureus ATCC 6538, and resistant, E. coli CTX M2, E. coli TEM CTX M9 and S. aureus ATCC 6538 and S. aureus MRSA ATCC 43300 Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria strains. Very low MIC values (5 μM) were found for the two resistant strains E.coli TEM CTX M9 and S. aureus MRSA ATCC 43300, in the case of the amide derivative, and for S. aureus MRSA ATCC 43300, in the case of the ester derivative. The interaction of the serine amphiphiles with lipid-model membranes (DPPG and DPPC) was investigated using Langmuir monolayers. A more pronounced effect on the DPPG than on the DPPC monolayer was observed. The effect induced by the surfactants on bacteria membrane was explored by Atomic Force Microscopy. A clear disruption of the bacteria membrane was observed for E. coli TEM CTX M9 upon treatment with (12ser)₂CON12, whereas for the S. aureus MRSA few observable changes in cell morphology were found after treatment with either of the two surfactants. The cytotoxicity of the two compounds was assessed by hemolysis assay on human red blood cells (RBC). The compounds were shown to be non-cytotoxic up to 10 μM. Overall, the results reveal a promising potential, in particular of the amide derivative, as antimicrobial agent for two strains of antibiotic resistant bacteria.

25-hydroxycholesterol interacts differently with lipids of the inner and outer membrane leaflet - The Langmuir monolayer study complemented with theoretical calculations

25-hydroxycholesterol (25-OH), a molecule with unusual behavior at the air/water interface, being anchored to the water surface alternatively with a hydroxyl group at C(3) or C(25), has been investigated in mixtures with main membrane phospholipids (phosphatidylcholines - PCs, and phosphatidylethanolamines - PEs), characteristic of the outer and inner membrane leaflet, respectively. To achieve this goal, the classical Langmuir monolayer approach based on thermodynamic analysis of interactions was conducted in addition to microscopic imaging of films (in situ with BAM and after transfer onto mica with AFM), surface-sensitive spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS), as well as theoretical calculations. Our results show that the strength of interactions is primarily determined by the kind of polar group (strong, attractive interactions leading to surface complexes formation were found to occur with PCs while weak or repulsive ones with PEs). Subsequently, the saturation of phosphatidylcholines apolar chain(s) was found to be crucial for the structure of the formed complexes. Namely, saturated PC (DPPC) does not have preferences regarding the orientation of 25-OH molecule in surface complexes (which results in the two possible 25-OH arrangements), while unsaturated PC (DOPC) enforces one specific orientation of oxysterol (with C(3)-OH group). Our findings suggest that the transport of 25-OH between inner and outer membrane leaflet can proceed without orientation changes, which is thermodynamically advantageous. This explains results found in real systems showing significant differences in the rate of transmembrane transport of 25-OH and the other chain-oxidized oxysterols compared to their ring-oxidized analogues or cholesterol.

Effect of the alkyl group in the piperazine N-substitution on the therapeutic action of rifamycins: A drug-membrane interaction study

In this work, we studied the effects of the N-alkyl group (methyl, cyclopentyl) in the piperazine ring of, respectively, rifampicin (RIF) and rifapentine (RPT) to correlate this substitution with their differential pharmacokinetic properties and overall clinical performance. Since this group is their only structural change, and given that they share the same pharmacological target, differences in their therapeutic behavior may respond to this asset, particularly in their interaction with lipid membranes across the organism. In this study, surface pressure-area isotherms, as well as spectroscopic and microscopic techniques of characterization of phospholipid monolayers at the air/water interface were used to gain insight into drug-membrane interactions. Differences in the affinity for lipid membranes for both drugs, given by the vibration frequency of characteristic chemical groups in the lipid, as well as by reflectivity and mean molecular area of the monolayer, seem to be due to the N-alkyl substituent and can contribute to provide a molecular explanation as why they pose different choices in the chemotherapy against the deadliest infectious disease, tuberculosis.

Chondroitin sulfate interacts mainly with headgroups in phospholipid monolayers

Sulfated glycosaminoglycans are precursors of the extracellular matrix used to treat diseases related to blood clotting and degenerative joint diseases. These medical applications have been well established, but the mode of action at the molecular level, which depends on the interaction with cell membranes, is not known in detail. In this study, we investigated the interaction between chondroitin sulfate (CS) and phospholipid monolayers that mimic cell membranes. From surface pressure isotherms and polarization-modulated infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS), CS was found to interact mainly with the polar groups of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and dipalmitoyl phosphatidylglycerol (DPPG), with negligible penetration into the hydrophobic tails and only small changes in monolayer elasticity for the packing corresponding to a real cell membrane. The changes in surface pressure and surface potential isotherms depended on CS concentration and on the time allowed for its adsorption onto the monolayer, which points to a dynamic adsorption-desorption process. The charge of the phospholipid was also relevant, since CS induced order into DPPC monolayers while the opposite occurred for DPPG, according to the PM-IRRAS spectra. In summary, interaction with polar groups is responsible for the CS effects on model cell membranes.

UV-Vis Reflection-Absorption Spectroscopy at air-liquid interfaces

UV-Visible Reflection-Absorption Spectroscopy (UVRAS) technique is reviewed with a general perspective on fundamental and applications. UVRAS is formally identical to IR Reflection-Absorption Spectroscopy (IRRAS), and therefore, the methodology developed for this IR technique can be applied in the UV-visible region. UVRAS can be applied to air-solid, air-liquid or liquid-liquid interfaces. This review focuses on the use of UVRAS for studying Langmuir monolayers. We introduce the theoretical framework for a successful understanding of the UVRAS data, and we illustrate the usage of this data treatment to a previous study from our group comprising an amphiphilic porphyrin. For ultrathin films with a thickness of few nm, UVRAS produces positive or negative bands when p-polarized radiation is used, depending on the incidence angle and the orientation of dipole absorption. UVRAS technique provides highly valuable information on tilt of chromophores at the air-liquid interface, and moreover allows the determination of optical parameters. We propose UVRAS as a powerful technique to investigate the in situ optical properties of Langmuir monolayers.

Vibrational spectroscopy for probing molecular-level interactions in organic films mimicking biointerfaces

Investigation into nanostructured organic films has served many purposes, including the design of functionalized surfaces that may be applied in biomedical devices and tissue engineering and for studying physiological processes depending on the interaction with cell membranes. Of particular relevance are Langmuir monolayers, Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) and layer-by-layer (LbL) films used to simulate biological interfaces. In this review, we shall focus on the use of vibrational spectroscopy methods to probe molecular-level interactions at biomimetic interfaces, with special emphasis on three surface-specific techniques, namely sum frequency generation (SFG), polarization-modulated infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The two types of systems selected for exemplifying the potential of the methods are the cell membrane models and the functionalized surfaces with biomolecules. Examples will be given on how SFG and PM-IRRAS can be combined to determine the effects from biomolecules on cell membrane models, which include determination of the orientation and preservation of secondary structure. Crucial information for the action of biomolecules on model membranes has also been obtained with PM-IRRAS, as is the case of chitosan removing proteins from the membrane. SERS will be shown as promising for enabling detection limits down to the single-molecule level. The strengths and limitations of these methods will also be discussed, in addition to the prospects for the near future.