1
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Osella S, Knippenberg S. Photophysics in Biomembranes: Computational Insight into the Interaction between Lipid Bilayers and Chromophores. Acc Chem Res 2024; 57:2245-2254. [PMID: 39105728 PMCID: PMC11339915 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
ConspectusLight is ubiquitously available to probe the structure and dynamics of biomolecules and biological tissues. Generally, this cannot be done directly with visible light, because of the absence of absorption by those biomolecules. This problem can be overcome by incorporating organic molecules (chromophores) that show an optical response in the vicinity of those biomolecules. Since those optical properties are strongly dependent on the chromophore's environment, time-resolved spectroscopic studies can provide a wealth of information on biosystems at the molecular scale in a nondestructive way. In this work, we give an overview on the multiscale computational strategy developed by us in the last eight years and prove that theoretical studies and simulations are needed to explain, guide, and predict observations in fluorescence experiments. As we challenge the accepted views on existing probes, we discover unexplored abilities that can discriminate surrounding lipid bilayers and their temperature-dependent as well as solvent-dependent properties. We focus on three archetypal chromophores: diphenylhexatriene (DPH), Laurdan, and azobenzene. Our method shows that conformational changes should not be neglected for the prototype rod-shaped molecule DPH. They determine its position and orientation in a liquid-ordered (Lo) sphingomyelin/cholesterol (SM/Chol) bilayer and are responsible for a strong differentiation of its absorption spectra and fluorescence decay times in dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) membranes, which are at room temperature in liquid-disordered (Ld) and solid-gel (So) phases, respectively. Thanks to its pronounced first excited state dipole moment, Laurdan has long been known as a solvatochromic probe. Since this molecule has however two conformers, we prove that they exhibit different properties in different lipid membrane phases. We see that the two conformers are only blocked in one phase but not in another. Supported by fluorescence anisotropy decay simulations, Laurdan can therefore be regarded as a molecular rotor. Finally, the conformational versatility of azobenzene in saturated Ld lipid bilayers is simulated, along with its photoisomerization pathways. By means of nonadiabatic QM/MM surface hopping analyses (QM/MM-SH), a dual mechanism is found with a torsional mechanism and a slow conversion for trans-to-cis. For cis-to-trans, simulations show a much higher quantum yield and a so-called "pedal-like" mechanism. The differences are related to the different potential energy surfaces as well as the interactions with the surrounding alkyl chains. When tails of increased length are attached to this probe, cis is pushed toward the polar surface, while trans is pulled toward the center of the membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Osella
- Chemical
and Biological Systems Simulation Lab, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2C, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - S. Knippenberg
- Theory
Lab, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
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2
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Bacalum M, Radu M, Osella S, Knippenberg S, Ameloot M. Generalized polarization and time-resolved fluorescence provide evidence for different populations of Laurdan in lipid vesicles. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY. B, BIOLOGY 2024; 250:112833. [PMID: 38141326 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2023.112833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
The solvatochromic dye Laurdan is widely used in sensing the lipid packing of both model and biological membranes. The fluorescence emission maximum shifts from about 440 nm (blue channel) in condensed membranes (So) to about 490 nm (green channel) in the liquid-crystalline phase (Lα). Although the fluorescence intensity based generalized polarization (GP) is widely used to characterize lipid membranes, the fluorescence lifetime of Laurdan, in the blue and the green channel, is less used for that purpose. Here we explore the correlation between GP and fluorescence lifetimes by spectroscopic measurements on the So and Lα phases of large unilamellar vesicles of DMPC and DPPC. A positive correlation between GP and the lifetimes is observed in each of the optical channels for the two lipid phases. Microfluorimetric determinations on giant unilamellar vesicles of DPPC and DOPC at room temperature are performed under linearly polarized two-photon excitation to disentangle possible subpopulations of Laurdan at a scale below the optical resolution. Fluorescence intensities, GP and fluorescence lifetimes depend on the angle between the orientation of the linear polarization of the excitation light and the local normal to the membrane of the optical cross-section. This angular variation depends on the lipid phase and the emission channel. GP and fluorescence intensities in the blue and green channel in So and in the blue channel in Lα exhibit a minimum near 90o. Surprisingly, the intensity in the green channel in Lα reaches a maximum near 90o. The fluorescence lifetimes in the two optical channels also reach a pronounced minimum near 90o in So and Lα, apart from the lifetime in the blue channel in Lα where the lifetime is short with minimal angular variation. To our knowledge, these experimental observations are the first to demonstrate the existence of a bent conformation of Laurdan in lipid membranes, as previously suggested by molecular dynamics calculations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihaela Bacalum
- Department of Life and Environmental Physics, Horia Hulubei National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Reactorului, 30, Măgurele 077125, Romania
| | - Mihai Radu
- Department of Life and Environmental Physics, Horia Hulubei National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Reactorului, 30, Măgurele 077125, Romania
| | - Silvio Osella
- Chemical and Biological Systems Simulation Lab, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2C, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Stefan Knippenberg
- Biomedical Research Institute, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Bldg. C, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium; Theory Lab, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Bldg. D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Marcel Ameloot
- Biomedical Research Institute, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Bldg. C, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.
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3
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Roversi D, Troiano C, Salnikov E, Giordano L, Riccitelli F, De Zotti M, Casciaro B, Loffredo MR, Park Y, Formaggio F, Mangoni ML, Bechinger B, Stella L. Effects of antimicrobial peptides on membrane dynamics: A comparison of fluorescence and NMR experiments. Biophys Chem 2023; 300:107060. [PMID: 37336097 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2023.107060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a promising class of compounds to fight resistant infections. They are commonly thought to kill bacteria by perturbing the permeability of their cell membranes. However, bacterial killing requires a high coverage of the cell surface by bound peptides, at least in the case of cationic and amphipathic AMPs. Therefore, it is conceivable that peptide accumulation on the bacterial membranes might interfere with vital cellular functions also by perturbing bilayer dynamics, a hypothesis that has been termed "sand in the gearbox". Here we performed a systematic study of such possible effects, for two representative peptides (the cationic cathelicidin PMAP-23 and the peptaibol alamethicin), employing fluorescence and NMR spectroscopies. These approaches are commonly applied to characterize lipid order and dynamics, but sample different time-scales and could thus report on different membrane properties. In our case, fluorescence anisotropy measurements on liposomes labelled with probes localized at different depths in the bilayer showed that both peptides perturb membrane fluidity and order. Pyrene excimer-formation experiments showed a peptide-induced reduction in lipid lateral mobility. Finally, laurdan fluorescence indicated that peptide binding reduces water penetration below the headgroups region. Comparable effects were observed also in fluorescence experiments performed directly on live bacterial cells. By contrast, the fatty acyl chain order parameters detected by deuterium NMR spectroscopy remained virtually unaffected by addition of the peptides. The apparent discrepancy between the two techniques confirms previous sporadic observations and is discussed in terms of the different characteristic times of the two approaches. The perturbation of membrane dynamics in the ns timescale, indicated by the multiple fluorescence approaches reported here, could contribute to the antimicrobial activity of AMPs, by affecting the function of membrane proteins, which is strongly dependent on the physicochemical properties of the bilayer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Roversi
- Department of Chemical Science and Technology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome 00133, Italy
| | - Cassandra Troiano
- Department of Chemical Science and Technology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome 00133, Italy
| | - Evgeniy Salnikov
- RMN et Biophysique des membranes, Institut de Chimie de Strasbourg, CNRS/UMR 7177, Université de Strasbourg, 4, rue Blaise Pascal, Strasbourg 67000, France
| | - Lorenzo Giordano
- Department of Chemical Science and Technology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome 00133, Italy
| | - Francesco Riccitelli
- Department of Chemical Science and Technology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome 00133, Italy
| | - Marta De Zotti
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Bruno Casciaro
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Maria Rosa Loffredo
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Yoonkyung Park
- Department of Biomedical Science and Research Center for Proteinaceous Materials (RCPM), Chosun University, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Fernando Formaggio
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Mangoni
- Department of Biochemical Sciences, Laboratory affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Burkhard Bechinger
- RMN et Biophysique des membranes, Institut de Chimie de Strasbourg, CNRS/UMR 7177, Université de Strasbourg, 4, rue Blaise Pascal, Strasbourg 67000, France; Institut Universitaire de France, Paris 75005, France
| | - Lorenzo Stella
- Department of Chemical Science and Technology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome 00133, Italy.
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Osella S, Granucci G, Persico M, Knippenberg S. Dual photoisomerization mechanism of azobenzene embedded in a lipid membrane. J Mater Chem B 2023; 11:2518-2529. [PMID: 36852914 DOI: 10.1039/d2tb02767d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
The photoisomerization of chromophores embedded in biological environments is of high importance for biomedical applications, but it is still challenging to define the photoisomerization mechanism both experimentally and computationally. We present here a computational study of the azobenzene molecule embedded in a DPPC lipid membrane, and assess the photoisomerization mechanism by means of the quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics surface hopping (QM/MM-SH) method. We observe that while the trans-to-cis isomerization is a slow process governed by a torsional mechanism due to the strong interaction with the environment, the cis-to-trans mechanism is completed in sub-ps time scale and is governed by a pedal-like mechanism in which both weaker interactions with the environment and a different geometry of the potential energy surface play a key role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvio Osella
- Chemical and Biological Systems Simulation Lab, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2C, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland. .,Materials and Process Simulation Center (MSC), California Institute of Technology, MC 139-74, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Giovanni Granucci
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Universitá di Pisa, v. Moruzzi 13, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Maurizio Persico
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Universitá di Pisa, v. Moruzzi 13, I-56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefan Knippenberg
- Hasselt University, Theory Lab, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.,Université Libre de Bruxelles, Spectroscopy, Quantum Chemistry and Atmospheric Remote Sensing (SQUARES), 50 Avenue F. Roosevelt, C.P. 160/09, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium.
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Fluorescent Probes cis- and trans-Parinaric Acids in Fluid and Gel Lipid Bilayers: A Molecular Dynamics Study. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28052241. [PMID: 36903487 PMCID: PMC10005308 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28052241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Fluorescence probes are indispensable tools in biochemical and biophysical membrane studies. Most of them possess extrinsic fluorophores, which often constitute a source of uncertainty and potential perturbation to the host system. In this regard, the few available intrinsically fluorescent membrane probes acquire increased importance. Among them, cis- and trans-parinaric acids (c-PnA and t-PnA, respectively) stand out as probes of membrane order and dynamics. These two compounds are long-chained fatty acids, differing solely in the configurations of two double bonds of their conjugated tetraene fluorophore. In this work, we employed all-atom and coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to study the behavior of c-PnA and t-PnA in lipid bilayers of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC), representative of the liquid disordered and solid ordered lipid phases, respectively. All-atom simulations indicate that the two probes show similar location and orientation in the simulated systems, with the carboxylate facing the water/lipid interface and the tail spanning the membrane leaflet. The two probes establish interactions with the solvent and lipids to a similar degree in POPC. However, the almost linear t-PnA molecules have tighter lipid packing around them, especially in DPPC, where they also interact more with positively charged lipid choline groups. Probably for these reasons, while both probes show similar partition (assessed from computed free energy profiles across bilayers) to POPC, t-PnA clearly partitions more extensively than c-PnA to the gel phase. t-PnA also displays more hindered fluorophore rotation, especially in DPPC. Our results agree very well with experimental fluorescence data from the literature and allow deeper understanding of the behavior of these two reporters of membrane organization.
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Kowalska M, Broniatowski M, Mach M, Płachta Ł, Wydro P. The effect of the polyethylene glycol chain length of a lipopolymer (DSPE-PEGn) on the properties of DPPC monolayers and bilayers. J Mol Liq 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2021.116529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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7
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Osella S, Paloncýová M, Sahi M, Knippenberg S. Influence of Membrane Phase on the Optical Properties of DPH. Molecules 2020; 25:E4264. [PMID: 32957614 PMCID: PMC7570797 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25184264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The fluorescent molecule diphenylhexatriene (DPH) has been often used in combination with fluorescence anisotropy measurements, yet little is known regarding the non-linear optical properties. In the current work, we focus on them and extend the application to fluorescence, while paying attention to the conformational versatility of DPH when it is embedded in different membrane phases. Extensive hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics calculations were performed to investigate the influence of the phase- and temperature-dependent lipid environment on the probe. Already, the transition dipole moments and one-photon absorption spectra obtained in the liquid ordered mixture of sphingomyelin (SM)-cholesterol (Chol) (2:1) differ largely from the ones calculated in the liquid disordered DOPC and solid gel DPPC membranes. Throughout the work, the molecular conformation in SM:Chol is found to differ from the other environments. The two-photon absorption spectra and the ones obtained by hyper-Rayleigh scattering depend strongly on the environment. Finally, a stringent comparison of the fluorescence anisotropy decay and the fluorescence lifetime confirm the use of DPH to gain information upon the surrounding lipids and lipid phases. DPH might thus open the possibility to detect and analyze different biological environments based on its absorption and emission properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvio Osella
- Chemical and Biological Systems Simulation Lab, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Markéta Paloncýová
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, 17. listopadu 12, 771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic;
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry and Biology, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden;
| | - Maryam Sahi
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry and Biology, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden;
| | - Stefan Knippenberg
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, 17. listopadu 12, 771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic;
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry and Biology, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden;
- Theory Lab, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
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8
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Filipe HAL, Moreno MJ, Loura LMS. The Secret Lives of Fluorescent Membrane Probes as Revealed by Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Molecules 2020; 25:E3424. [PMID: 32731549 PMCID: PMC7435664 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25153424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo A. L. Filipe
- Chemistry Department, Coimbra Chemistry Center, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal;
| | - Maria João Moreno
- Coimbra Chemistry Center and CNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal;
| | - Luís M. S. Loura
- Coimbra Chemistry Center and CNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
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Wang Z, Chen C, Liu H, Hrynshpan D, Savitskaya T, Chen J, Chen J. Enhanced denitrification performance of Alcaligenes sp. TB by Pd stimulating to produce membrane adaptation mechanism coupled with nanoscale zero-valent iron. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 708:135063. [PMID: 31810663 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The microbial reduction of nitrate in the presence of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) was evaluated to assess the feasibility of employing nZVI for biological denitrification treatment. The effect of modified nZVI on the growth, metabolism, and denitrification performance of Alcaligenes sp. TB under aerobic conditions was studied. Results showed that Alcaligenes sp. TB with nZVI/Pd had 31.5% increase in nitrate removal and 18.1% decrease in nitrite accumulation within 28 h. nZVI/Pd exhibited less inhibition on the cell growth (OD600 = 0.725), NADH/NAD+ ratio (86% of control), and electron transfer system activity (68.5% of control). In addition, nZVI/Pd decreased the membrane fluidity by increasing the trans/cis isomerization ratio (317.7% of control) to enhance the resistance of nZVI. This study underlines the effects of nZVI/Pd on membrane susceptibility via membrane fatty acid transformation during denitrification and suggests the influence of engineered nanomaterials on denitrification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeyu Wang
- College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, PR China
| | - Cong Chen
- College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, PR China
| | - Huan Liu
- College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, PR China
| | - Dzmitry Hrynshpan
- Research Institute of Physical and Chemical Problems, Belarusian State University, Minsk 220030, Belarus
| | - Tatsiana Savitskaya
- Research Institute of Physical and Chemical Problems, Belarusian State University, Minsk 220030, Belarus
| | - Jianmeng Chen
- College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310032, PR China
| | - Jun Chen
- College of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou 310021, PR China.
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Paloncýová M, Aniander G, Larsson E, Knippenberg S. Cyanine dyes with tail length asymmetry enhance photoselection: A multiscale study on DiD probes in a liquid disordered membrane. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2020; 224:117329. [PMID: 31326855 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2019.117329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Visualization of membrane domains like lipid rafts in natural or artificial membranes is a crucial task for cell biology. For this purpose, fluorescence microscopy is often used. Since fluorescing probes in lipid membranes partition specifically in e.g. local liquid disordered or liquid ordered environments, the consequent changes in their orientation and location are both theoretically and experimentally of interest. Here we focused on a liquid disordered membrane phase and performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the indocarbocyanine DiD probes by varying the length of the attached alkyl tails and also the length of the cyanine backbone. From the probed compounds in a DOPC lipid bilayer at ambient temperature, a varying orientation of the transition dipole moment was observed, which is crucial for fluorescence microscopy and which, through photoselection, was found to be surprisingly more effective for asymmetric probes than for the symmetric ones. Furthermore, we observed that the orientation of the probes was dependent on the tail length; with the methyls or propyls attached, DiD oriented with its tails facing the water, contrary to the ones with longer tails. With advanced hybrid QM/MM calculations we show that the different local environment for differently oriented probes affected the one-photon absorption spectra, that was blue-shifted for the short-tailed DiD with respect to the DiDs with longer tails. We show here that the presented probes can be successfully used for fluorescence microscopy and we believe that the described properties bring further insight for the experimental use of these probes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markéta Paloncýová
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry and Biology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden; Biomedical Research Institute, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building C, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | - Gustav Aniander
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry and Biology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emma Larsson
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry and Biology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Stefan Knippenberg
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry and Biology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden; Biomedical Research Institute, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building C, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium; RCPTM, Department of Physical Chemistry, Fac. Sciences, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic; Research group PLASMANT, Department of Chemistry, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium.
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11
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Das S, Chakrabarty S, Chattopadhyay N. Origin of Unusually High Fluorescence Anisotropy of 3-Hydroxyflavone in Water: Formation of Probe-Solvent Cage-like Cluster. J Phys Chem B 2019; 124:173-180. [PMID: 31622100 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b07526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Based on the unusually high fluorescence anisotropy (FA) of 3-hydroxyflavone (3HF) in water medium in contrast to the very low FA of its methoxy counterpart (3MF), our proposition invoked formation of an intermolecular hydrogen-bonded cage-like probe-solvent cluster of 3HF in water. In the present work, ab-initio DFT-based quantum chemical calculations have been exploited to provide a foundation for our interpretation. Ground-state optimization of 3HF with varying numbers of water molecules leads to the formation of a cage-like or loop-like probe-water cluster. Our calculations reveal that the structures with four to five water molecules are stabilized to the maximum extent. Classical molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the rotational dynamics of 3HF is much slower in water compared to that in alkane medium, which also goes in favor of the probe-solvent cluster formation in water medium. Apart from the theoretical studies, an indirect experimental approach has been adopted to substantiate formation of the probe-water cluster. The atypical observation of reduced FA of 3HF entrapped in micelles relative to that of the fluorophore in water implies disruption of the probe-water cluster with the addition of micelles, corroborating our original proposition of formation of an intermolecularly hydrogen-bonded 3HF-water cluster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinjan Das
- Department of Chemistry , Jadavpur University , Kolkata 700 032 , India
| | - Suman Chakrabarty
- Department of Chemical, Biological & Macromolecular Sciences , S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences , Kolkata 700 106 , India
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Engberg O, Scheidt HA, Nyholm TKM, Slotte JP, Huster D. Membrane Localization and Lipid Interactions of Common Lipid-Conjugated Fluorescence Probes. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2019; 35:11902-11911. [PMID: 31424941 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b01202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Lateral segregation of lipids in model and biological membranes has been studied intensively in the last decades using a comprehensive set of experimental techniques. Most methods require a probe to report on the biophysical properties of a specific molecule in the lipid bilayer. Because such probes can adversely affect the results of the measurement and perturb the local membrane structure and dynamics, a detailed understanding of probe behavior and its influence on the properties of its direct environment is important. Membrane phase-selective and lipid-mimicking molecules represent common types of probes. Here, we have studied how the fluorescent probes trans-parinaric acid (tPA), diphenylhexatriene (DPH), and 1-oleoyl-2-propionyl[DPH]-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (O-DPH-PC) affect the membrane properties of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) bilayers using 2H and 31P NMR spectroscopy in the solid state. In addition, using 2D 1H magic-angle spinning (MAS) nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy (NOESY) NMR, we have determined the distribution of the probe moieties in the POPC membrane parallel to the membrane normal. We found that the different probes exhibit distinct membrane localizations and distributions, e.g. tPA is located parallel to the membrane normal while DPH predominantly exist in two orientations. Further, tPA was conjugated to sphingomyelin (tPA-SM) as a substitute for the acyl chain in the SM. 1H NOESY NMR was used to probe the interaction of the tPA-SM with cholesterol as dominant in liquid ordered membrane domains in comparison to POPC-cholesterol interaction in membranes composed of ternary lipid mixtures. We could show that tPA-SM exhibited a strong favorable and very temperature-dependent interaction with cholesterol in comparison to POPC. In conclusion, the NMR techniques can explain probe behavior but also be used to measure lipid-specific affinities between different lipid segments and individual molecules in complex bilayers, relevant to understanding nanodomain formation in biological membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oskar Engberg
- Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics, Medical Department , Leipzig University , Leipzig , Germany
- Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering , Åbo Akademi University , Turku , Finland
| | - Holger A Scheidt
- Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics, Medical Department , Leipzig University , Leipzig , Germany
| | - Thomas K M Nyholm
- Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering , Åbo Akademi University , Turku , Finland
| | - J Peter Slotte
- Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering , Åbo Akademi University , Turku , Finland
| | - Daniel Huster
- Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics, Medical Department , Leipzig University , Leipzig , Germany
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Osella S, Smisdom N, Ameloot M, Knippenberg S. Conformational Changes as Driving Force for Phase Recognition: The Case of Laurdan. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2019; 35:11471-11481. [PMID: 31403301 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b01840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The development of a universal probe to assess the phase of a lipid membrane is one of the most ambitious goals for fluorescence spectroscopy. The ability of a well-known molecule as Laurdan to reach this aim is here exploited as the behavior of the probe is fully characterized in a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) solid gel (So) phase by means of molecular dynamics simulations. Laurdan can take two conformations, depending on whether the carbonyl oxygen points toward the β-position of the naphthalene core (Conf-I) or to the α-position (Conf-II). We observe that Conf-I has an elongated form in this environment, whereas Conf-II takes an L-shape. Interestingly, our theoretical calculations show that these two conformations behave in an opposite way from what is reported in the literature for a DPPC membrane in a liquid disordered (Ld) phase, where Conf-I assumes an L-shape and Conf-II is elongated. Moreover, our results show that in DPPC (So) no intermixing between the conformations is present, whereas it has been seen in a fluid environment such as DOPC (Ld). Through a careful analysis of angle distributions and by means of the rotational autocorrelation function, we predict that the two conformers of Laurdan behave differently in different membrane environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvio Osella
- Chemical and Biological Systems Simulation Lab, Centre of New Technologies , University of Warsaw , Banacha 2C , 02-097 Warsaw , Poland
| | - Nick Smisdom
- Biomedical Research Institute , Hasselt University , Agoralaan Building C , 3590 Diepenbeek , Belgium
| | - Marcel Ameloot
- Biomedical Research Institute , Hasselt University , Agoralaan Building C , 3590 Diepenbeek , Belgium
| | - Stefan Knippenberg
- Biomedical Research Institute , Hasselt University , Agoralaan Building C , 3590 Diepenbeek , Belgium
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry and Biology, School of Biotechnology , Royal Institute of Technology , SE-10691 Stockholm , Sweden
- RCPTM, Department of Physical Chemistry, Fac. Sciences , Palacký University , 771 46 Olomouc , Czech Republic
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