The interaction of a thiosemicarbazone derived from R - (+) - limonene with lipid membranes

As a potential drug, 2-nitrobenzaldehyde-thiosemicarbazone (2-TSC), a thiosemicarbazone derived from the terpene R-(+)-limonene, was studied through calorimetric and spectroscopic techniques. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) data showed that 2-TSC causes structural changes in a 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) membrane, strongly decreasing the cooperativity of the bilayer gel-fluid thermal transition. Optical absorption spectroscopy showed that 2-TSC is more soluble in ethanol and lipids than in water medium, and that the drug displays different structures in the different environments. Though 2-TSC displays no fluorescence, time resolved fluorescence showed that the drug is an effective quencher of the fluorescent probe 6-dodecanoyl-2-dimethylaminonaphthalene (Laurdan). As it is well accepted that Laurdan is positioned into the bilayer close to the membrane surface, that is possibly the localization of 2-TSC in a bilayer. Electron spin resonance (ESR) of the probe 1-palmitoyl-2-stearoyl-(14-doxyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (14-PCSL) revealed that 2-TSC is inserted into the hydrocarbon part of the bilayer, fluidizing the lipid bilayer gel phase and rigidifying or organizing the bilayer fluid phase. Similar effects are found for other lipophilic molecules, including cholesterol. These results are useful to improve the understanding of the processes that govern the interaction of thiosemicarbazones with cell membranes, related to the activity of the drugs and their cytotoxicity.

The Secret Lives of Fluorescent Membrane Probes as Revealed by Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Fluorescent probes have been employed for more than half a century to study the structure and dynamics of model and biological membranes, using spectroscopic and/or microscopic experimental approaches. While their utilization has led to tremendous progress in our knowledge of membrane biophysics and physiology, in some respects the behavior of bilayer-inserted membrane probes has long remained inscrutable. The location, orientation and interaction of fluorophores with lipid and/or water molecules are often not well known, and they are crucial for understanding what the probe is actually reporting. Moreover, because the probe is an extraneous inclusion, it may perturb the properties of the host membrane system, altering the very properties it is supposed to measure. For these reasons, the need for independent methodologies to assess the behavior of bilayer-inserted fluorescence probes has been recognized for a long time. Because of recent improvements in computational tools, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have become a popular means of obtaining this important information. The present review addresses MD studies of all major classes of fluorescent membrane probes, focusing in the period between 2011 and 2020, during which such work has undergone a dramatic surge in both the number of studies and the variety of probes and properties accessed.

Porphyrin-Based Probe for Simultaneous Detection of Interface Acidity and Polarity during Lipid-Phase Transition of Vesicles

Biochemical activities at a membrane interface are affected by local pH/polarity related to membrane lipid properties including lipid dynamics. pH and polarity at the interface are two highly interdependent parameters, depending on various locations from the water-exposed outer surface to the less polar inner surface. The optical response of common pH or polarity probes is affected by both the local pH and polarity; therefore, estimation of these values using two separate probes localized at different interface depths can be erroneous. To estimate interface pH and polarity at an identical interface depth, we synthesized a glucose-pendant porphyrin (GPP) molecule for simultaneous pH and polarity detection by a single optical probe. pH-induced protonation equilibrium and polarity-dependent π-π stacking aggregation for GPP are exploited to measure pH and polarity changes at the 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1'-rac-glycerol) (DMPG) membrane interface during DMPG phase transition. An NMR study confirmed that GPP is located at the interface Stern layer of DMPG large unilamellar vesicle (LUV). Using UV-vis absorption studies with an adapted analysis protocol, we estimated interface pH, or its deviation from the bulk phase value (ΔpH), and the interface polarity simultaneously using the same spectra for sodium dodecyl sulfate micelle and DMPG LUV. During temperature-dependent gel to liquid-crystalline phase transition of DMPG, there was ∼0.5 unit increase in ΔpH from approximately -0.6 to -1.1, with a small increase in the interface dielectric constant from ∼60 to 63. A series of spectroscopic data indicate the utility of GPP for evaluation of local pH/polarity change during lipid phase transition of vesicles.

Effect of Photoacid Strength on Fluorescence Modulation of 2-Naphthol Derivatives inside β-Cyclodextrin Cavity: Insights from Fluorescence, Isothermal Calorimetry, and Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Fluorescence response of a photoacid inside a confined environment often differs markedly from the bulk response. Is there any correlation between the extent of fluorescence modulation and the strength of the photoacid? Here, we used three photoacids: 2-naphthol (2OH, pK_a* = 3.3), 6-sulfonate-2-naphthol (6SO₃-2OH, pK_a* = 3.06), and 6-cyano-2-naphthol (6CN-2OH, pK_a* = 0.6) with remarkably different excited-state acidities to investigate fluorescence modulation inside the nanocavity of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD). Interestingly, we found strong fluorescence modulation for 2OH and 6SO₃-2OH but almost none for 6CN-2OH. Isothermal calorimetry measurements showed that all three fluorophores form 1:1 inclusion complex with comparable binding constants (285, 420, and 580 M^-1 for 2OH, 6SO₃-2OH, and 6CN-2OH, respectively). Molecular dynamics simulation further revealed that binding modes are quite similar, and the distribution of water molecules around the proton-donating hydroxyl group of the photoacids are also comparable. Consequently, the difference in the fluorescence response should be accounted solely to the difference in the photoacidity strengths.

Interfacial pH and polarity detection of amphiphilic self-assemblies using a single Schiff-base molecule

The interfacial pH and polarity for different amphiphilic self-assemblies are estimated at a similar interfacial depth utilizing a unique Schiff-base molecule containing two identical phenol-conjugated-imine moieties.

Probe-location dependent resonance energy transfer at lipid/water interfaces: comparison between the gel- and fluid-phase of lipid bilayer

Effect of dielectric environment and lipid fluidity/rigidity in multi-chromophoric FRET from a series of donors to acceptors at lipid/water interfaces are monitored by tailored donor–acceptor pairs.