Biophysical Characterization of the Interaction between a Transport Human Plasma Protein and the 5,10,15,20-Tetra(pyridine-4-yl)porphyrin

The interaction between human serum albumin (HSA) and the non-charged synthetic photosensitizer 5,10,15,20-tetra(pyridine-4-yl)porphyrin (4-TPyP) was evaluated by in vitro assays under physiological conditions using spectroscopic techniques (UV-vis, circular dichroism, steady-state, time-resolved, synchronous, and 3D-fluorescence) combined with in silico calculations by molecular docking. The UV-vis and steady-state fluorescence parameters indicated a ground-state association between HSA and 4-TPyP and the absence of any dynamic fluorescence quenching was confirmed by the same average fluorescence lifetime for HSA without (4.76 ± 0.11 ns) and with 4-TPyP (4.79 ± 0.14 ns). Therefore, the Stern-Volmer quenching (K_SV) constant reflects the binding affinity, indicating a moderate interaction (10⁴ M^-1) being spontaneous (ΔG°= -25.0 kJ/mol at 296 K), enthalpically (ΔH° = -9.31 ± 1.34 kJ/mol), and entropically (ΔS° = 52.9 ± 4.4 J/molK) driven. Binding causes only a very weak perturbation on the secondary structure of albumin. There is just one main binding site in HSA for 4-TPyP (n ≈ 1.0), probably into the subdomain IIA (site I), where the Trp-214 residue can be found. The microenvironment around this fluorophore seems not to be perturbed even with 4-TPyP interacting via hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces with the amino acid residues in the subdomain IIA.

Porphyrins bearing quaternary azaaromatic moieties

In this review, porphyrins bearing quaternary azaaromatic moieties are described as follows: firstly those with useful physicochemical properties, then, species showing biological activities and finally, porphyrins bound with fullerenes and with cyclodextrins.

Aggregation and DNA binding characteristics of tetrakis(N,N',N″,N‴-tetramethyltetra-3,4-pridino)porphyrazine cobalt(II)

The association behavior of tetrakis( N , N ', N ″, N ‴-tetramethyltetra-3,4-pridino)porphyrazine cobalt(II) ([ Co (II)3,4- TMTPPA ]4+) was investigated in aqueous solution at 25°C and various ionic strengths using optical absorption and resonance light scattering spectroscopies. The results show that [ Co (II)3,4- TMTPPA ]4+ does not have any affinity for aggregation due to increasing salt concentration and exists as the monomer form even in homogeneous aqueous solutions at high ionic strengths (more than 1 M concentration of NaCl ). The interaction of [ Co (II)3,4- TMTPPA ]4+ with calf thymus DNA in aqueous solution has also been studied in 5 mM phosphate buffer pH 7.2, by optical absorption and resonance light scattering spectroscopies, and thermal denaturation experiments. The appearance of hypochromicity of less than 10% and a bathochromic shift of Δλ ≤ 8 nm in the UV-vis spectra of [ Co (II)3,4- TMTPPA ]4+, an increase in the thermal melting point of DNA, and no enhancement in resonance light scattering spectra of porphyrazine due to interaction with DNA, indicates the minor outside-groove binding mode without any stack aggregate formation. The thermodynamics of the binding of [ Co (II)3,4- TMTPPA ]4+-DNA has also been studied. The binding constant (K) was obtained by analysis of optical absorption spectra of the above-mentioned complex at various DNA concentrations using SQUAD software. The value of K was estimated as 1.31 × 106 ± 1.174 M-1 at 25°C. The thermodynamic parameters were calculated by van't Hoff equation. The enthalpy and entropy changes were 48.77 ± 2.50 kJ . mol -1 and 280.77 ± 9.62 J . mol -1. K -1 at 25°C, respectively. The results indicate that the process is entropy driven suggesting that hydrophobic interactions are the main driving forces for complex formation. The increase of ionic strength due to the addition of NaCl , destabilized porphyrazine-DNA complexes, which indicates the competition of Na + ions with porphyrazine complexes for occupation of minor groove binding sites.

Photophysical properties of a water-soluble adjacently substituted bisnaphthalophthalocyanine

Spectral properties of a water soluble metal free tetracarboxyphenoxy bisnaphthalophthalocyanine (3) were studied in water and organic solvents. It was found that in protic solvents, complex 3 was highly aggregated. The surfactant, Triton X100, and bovine serum albumin (BSA) do not effect disaggregation while cetyl trimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) caused the molecule to disaggregate. The fluorescence quantum yields were higher in the presence of CTAC. Studying the interaction of BSA with complex 3 using fluorometry revealed that BSA is highly quenched by the latter. A 1:1 stoichiometric binding ratio between BSA and the Pc was found. Triplet quantum yields in water containing CTAC were higher than in organic solvents.

Complexes of bovine serum albumin with water-soluble Cu and Co containing cationic meso-tetra(4-N-oxyethylpyridyl)-porphyrins

Bovine serum albumin complexes with water-soluble cationic porphyrins, Cu - and Co-meso-tetra(4- N -hydroxyethylpyridyl)porphyrins ( CuT4OEPyP , CoT4OEPyP ), and their 3- N -analogs, meso-tetra(3- N -hydroxyethylpyridyl)porphyrins ( CuT3OEPyP , CoT3OEPyP ), have been investigated. The porphyrin-bovine serum albumin binding was monitored by the absorption in the visible region at 400-460 nm. The stoichiometry of binding and the binding constants of the porphyrins to bovine serum albumin were determined using binding isotherms and Scatchard plots. The K b values obtained for these porphyrin- bovine serum albumin complexes are 1.7 × 105 M −1, 3.2 × 105 M −1, 1.4 × 105 M −1 and 3 × 105 M −1 respectively. Binding constants are sensitive to pH and ionic strength of the solution.

Aggregation behavior of tetrakis(N, N′, N″, N‴-tetramethyl tetra-2,3-pyridino)porphyrazine copper(II) and its interaction with ct-DNA: a thermodynamic approach

The association behavior of tetrakis( N , N ′, N ″, N ‴-tetramethyl tetra-2,3-pyridino)porphyrazine copper(II) ([ Cu(II) 2,3- tmtppa ]4+) was investigated in aqueous solutions at 25 °C and various ionic strengths using optical absorption and resonance light scattering (RLS) spectroscopies. The results show that ([ Cu(II) 2,3- tmtppa ]4+) does not have any affinity for aggregation due to increasing of salt concentration and exists as monomers even in homogeneous aqueous solutions of high ionic strengths (more than 1 M NaCl ). Interaction of ([ Cu(II) 2,3- tmtppa ]4+) with calf thymus DNA has also been studied in 1 mM aqueous phosphate buffer of pH 7.0, by optical absorption and RLS spectroscopies, and thermal denaturation experiments. The appearance of hypochromicity of less than 10% and bathochromicity shift of Δλ ≤ 2 nm in UV-vis spectra of ([ Cu(II) 2,3- tmtppa ]4+), increasing of thermal melting point of DNA, and no change in RLS spectra of porphyrazine due to interaction with DNA, represent the minor outside groove binding mode without any stack aggregate formation. The thermodynamic of the binding of ([ Cu(II) 2,3- tmtppa ]4+)-DNA also has been studied. The binding constant (K) was obtained by analysis of the optical absorption spectra of the complex at various DNA concentrations using SQUAD software. The value of K was estimated to be 2.34 × 105 ± 0.06 M -1 at 25 °C. The thermodynamic parameters were calculated by van't Hoff equation. The enthalpy and entropy changes were 41.83 ± 3.28 kJ/mol and 242.08 ± 9.88 J/mol.K at 25 °C, respectively. The results indicate that the process is entropy-driven and suggest that hydrophobic interactions are the main driving forces for the complex formation. Increasing of the ionic strength due to addition of NaCl destabilized porphyrazine-DNA complexes, indicating the competition of Na + ions with porphyrazine complexes for occupation of minor groove binding sites.

Antibacterial activity of tetraaryl-porphyrin photosensitizers: an in vitro study on Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria

BACKGROUND

Photodynamic therapy exploits visible light and photosensitizers to inactivate cells and this methodology is currently used for the treatment of several types of malignancy. Although various tumours are successfully treated with PSs and light, the application on microorganisms (photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy) has not yet found specific medical applications and still remains an open field of fundamental research.

PURPOSE

The assessment of the effect of a panel of seven tetraaryl-porphyrins, two commercial (PS 1 and 2) and five synthetic (PS 3-7) in in vitro experiments against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus.

METHODS

Three of the new photosensitizers (PS 3, 4 and 5) are tetracationic porphyrins and were prepared by N-alkylation of 5,10,15,20-tetra-4-pyridylporphyrin with a large excess of different benzyl chlorides; compound 7 is a dicationic porphyrin and was obtained in a similar way using a lower excess of 4-methoxybenzyl chloride. The neutral porphyrin (PS 6) was previously described. Dose-response curves were obtained titrating the survivors of cell suspensions (10(8)cfu/ml) exposed to the PSs and irradiated with visible light (total fluence rate 266 J/cm2).

RESULTS

The non ionic porphyrin 6 was the least active PS against all the tested bacteria. Cationic PSs 3, 4, 5 and 7 were more active than the commercial 1 and 2. The Gram positive S. aureus was more sensitive to all the PSs than the Gram negative E. coli and P. aeruginosa, the latter being the more resistant one. Compound 7 was found particularly efficient against P. aeruginosa, causing a 7 log units reduction of survivors at a concentration of 8 microM.

CONCLUSIONS

The reported results confirm that the presence of positively charged groups on porphyrin frame is fundamental for PSs antibacterial activity, however our data suggest that a moderate degree of lipophilicity, achievable by the introduction of aromatic hydrocarbon side chains on the pyridyl moieties, may improve PSs efficiency. Furthermore dicationic porphyrin 7 seems to be more efficient than the corresponding tetracationic derivatives thus emphasizing an interesting feature involved in the PSs activity.

Photophysicochemical consequences of bovine serum albumin binding to non-transition metal phthalocyanine sulfonates

The interactions between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and sulfonated metallophthalocyanine (MPc) complexes of aluminum (AlPcS(mix)), zinc (ZnPcS(mix)), silicon (SiPcS(mix)), germanium (GePcS(mix)) and tin (SnPcS(mix)) are studied using fluorescence quenching of BSA by MPc complexes. The fluorescence quantum yields of the non-aggregated MPc complexes (AlPcS(mix), GePcS(mix) and SiPcS(mix)) decreased in the presence of BSA, but increased for the aggregated ZnPcS(mix) and SnPcS(mix) complexes. The BSA: MPc conjugates were less stable than the corresponding MPc complexes. The quenching constants were much higher for the non-aggregated complexes. The aggregated nature of the complexes also affected the rate constants (k(F), k(IC), k(ISC)) for the deactivation of the excited singlet state.