Fragment-based approach to study fungicide-biomimetic membrane interactions.

In this study, the molecular interactions of the allylamine-type fungicide butenafine and a set of substructures ("fragments") with liposomes mimicking biological membranes were studied to gain a better understanding of the structural factors governing membrane affinity and perturbation. Specifically, drug/fragment-membrane interactions were investigated using an interdisciplinary approach involving micro differential scanning calorimetry, open-tubular capillary electrochromatography, nanoplasmonic sensing, and quartz crystal microbalance. By incubating the drug and the fragment compounds with liposomes with varying lipid composition or by externally adding the compounds to preformed liposomes, a detailed mechanistic picture on the underlying drug/fragment-membrane interactions was obtained. The nature and the degree of ionisation of polar head groups of the lipids had a major influence on the nature of drug-membrane interactions, and so had the presence and relative concentration of cholesterol within the membranes. The in-depth understanding of drug/fragment-membranes interactions established by the presented interdisciplinary fragment-based approach may be useful in guiding the design and early-stage evaluation of prospective antifungal drug candidates, and the discovery of agents with improved membrane penetrating characteristics in general.

Effect of liposome composition on ß-blocker interactions studied by capillary electrokinetic chromatography.

Liposome capillary electrokinetic chromatography was used to investigate the interactions between three ß-blockers of different hydrophobicity and various liposome solutions. The studied ß-blockers comprised alprenolol, propranolol, and carvedilol. The composition of the liposome solutions, containing 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phos-phoethanolamine, 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-l-serine, and cholesterol in various molar ratios, was designed by a response surface methodology-central composite design approach. Subsequently, after conducting the liposome capillary electrokinetic chromatography experiments and determining the retention factors from the electrophoretic mobilities of the compounds, and further calculating the distribution coefficients, an analysis of variance was performed. After extracting the statistical models, optimal operational conditions were obtained based on the developed models. To further investigate the interactions between the ß-blockers and the liposomes, nanoplasmonic sensing experiments were carried out on two different liposome systems. The overall results demonstrate the strong influence of cholesterol and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-l-serine on the distribution coefficients.

Capillary electrokinetic chromatography for studying interactions between ß-blockers and Intralipid emulsion.

Toxicity of ß-blockers is one of the most common causes of poison-induced cardiogenic shock throughout the world. Therefore, methodologies for in vivo removal of the drugs from the body have been under investigation. Intralipid emulsion (ILE) is a common commercial lipid emulsion used for parenteral nutrition, but it has also been administered to patients suffering from drug toxicities. In this work, a set of ß-blockers of different hydrophobicity's (log KD values ranging from 0.16 to 3.8) were investigated. The relative strength of the interactions between these compounds and the ILE was quantitatively assessed by means of binding constants and adsorption constants of the formed ß-blocker-ILE complexes. The binding constants were determined by capillary electrokinetic chromatography and the adsorption constants were calculated based on different adsorption isotherms. Expectedly, the binding constants were strongly related to the log KD values of the ß-blockers. The binding and adsorption constants also show that less hydrophobic ß-blockers interact with ILE, suggesting that this emulsion could be useful for capturing such compounds in cases of their overdoses. Thus, the use of ILE for treatment of toxicities caused by a larger range of ß-blockers is worth further investigation.

The Affinity of Sterols for Different Phospholipid Classes and Its Impact on Lateral Segregation.

Cholesterol is an essential molecule in the membranes of mammalian cells. It is known to be distributed heterogeneously within the cells, between the bilayer leaflets, as well as between lateral domains within the bilayer. However, we do not know exactly how cholesterol is distributed and what forces drive this sorting process because it extremely difficult to study using currently available methods. To further elucidate this distribution, we measured how cholesterol partitions between different phospholipid (PL) environments using different methods based on cholesterol, TopFluor-cholesterol, and cholesta-5,7,9(11)-triene-3-ß-ol. Based on the obtained relative partition coefficients, we made predictions regarding how cholesterol would be distributed between lateral domains and between the inner and outer leaflets of the plasma membrane. In addition, using a trans-parinaric acid fluorescence-based method, we tested how cholesterol could influence lateral segregation through its interaction with unsaturated PLs with different headgroups. The results showed that the lower the affinity of cholesterol was for the different unsaturated PLs, the more cholesterol stimulated lateral segregation in a ternary bilayer of unsaturated PL/N-palmitoyl-D-erythro-sphingomyelin and cholesterol. Overall, the results indicate that both the distribution of cholesterol between different lipid environments and the impact of cholesterol on lateral segregation can be predicted relatively accurately from determined relative partition coefficients.

Stabilization of sphingomyelin interactions by interfacial hydroxyls - a study of phytosphingomyelin properties.

D-ribo-phytosphingosines are biologically significant long-chain bases present in various sphingolipids from yeasts, fungi, plants and mammals. In this study we prepared phytopalmitoylsphingomyelin (phytoPSM) analogs based on the D-ribo-phytosphingosine base. The N-linked acyl chains were either 16:0, 2OH(R)16:0 (natural isomer), or 2OH(S)16:0. The gel-phase of phytoPSM was more stable than that of PSM (T(m) 48.6°C and 41.0°C, respectively). The gel-liquid crystalline phase transition enthalpies were 9.1±0.4 and 6.1±0.3kcal/mol for phytoPSM and PSM, respectively. An N-linked 2OH(R)16:0 in phytoPSM destabilized the gel phase relative to phytoPSM (by ~+6°C, based on DPH anisotropy measurements), whereas 2OH(S)16:0 in phytoPSM stabilized it (by ~-6°C). All phytoPSM analogs formed sterol-enriched ordered domains in a fluid ternary bilayer, and those containing phytoPSM or 2OH(S)phytoPSM were more thermostable than the domains containing 2OH(R)phytoPSM or PSM. The affinity of cholestatrienol for POPC bilayers containing 20mol% phytoPSM was higher than for comparable bilayers with an equal amount of PSM. The 2-hydroxylated acyl chains in phytoPSM did not markedly alter sterol affinity. We conclude that phytoPSM is a more ordered sphingolipid than PSM, and is fully capable of interacting with cholesterol.

Effect of hydrophobic mismatch and interdigitation on sterol/sphingomyelin interaction in ternary bilayer membranes.

Sphingomyelin (SM) is a major phospholipid in most cell membranes. SMs are composed of a long-chain base (often sphingosine, 18:1(Δ4t)), and N-linked acyl chains (often 16:0, 18:0 or 24:1(Δ15c)). Cholesterol interacts with SM in cell membranes, but the acyl chain preference of this interaction is not fully elucidated. In this study we have examined the effects of hydrophobic mismatch and interdigitation on cholesterol/sphingomyelin interaction in complex bilayer membranes. We measured the capacity of cholestatrienol (CTL) and cholesterol to form sterol-enriched ordered domains with saturated SM species having different chain lengths (14 to 24 carbons) in ternary bilayer membranes. We also determined the equilibrium bilayer partitioning coefficient of CTL with 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) membranes containing 20mol% of saturated SM analogs. Ours results show that while CTL and cholesterol formed sterol-enriched domains with both short and long-chain SM species, the sterols preferred interaction with 16:0-SM over any other saturated chain length SM analog. When CTL membrane partitioning was determined with fluid POPC bilayers containing 20mol% of a saturated chain length SM analog, the highest affinity was seen with 16:0-SM (both at 23 and 37°C). These results indicate that hydrophobic mismatch and/or interdigitation attenuate sterol/SM association and thus affect lateral distribution of sterols in the bilayer membrane.

N- and O-methylation of sphingomyelin markedly affects its membrane properties and interactions with cholesterol.

We have prepared palmitoyl sphingomyelin (PSM) analogs in which either the 2-NH was methylated to NMe, the 3-OH was methylated to OMe, or both were methylated simultaneously. The aim of the study was to determine how such modifications in the membrane interfacial region of the molecules affected interlipid interactions in bilayer membranes. Measuring DPH anisotropy in vesicle membranes prepared from the SM analogs, we observed that methylation decreased gel-phase stability and increased fluid phase disorder, when compared to PSM. Methylation of the 2-NH had the largest effect on gel-phase instability (T(m) was lowered by ~7°C). Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations showed that fluid phase bilayers with methylated SM analogs were more expanded but thinner compared to PSM bilayers. It was further revealed that 3-OH methylation dramatically attenuated hydrogen bonding also via the amide nitrogen, whereas 2-NH methylation did not similarly affect hydrogen bonding via the 3-OH. The interactions of sterols with the methylated SM analogs were markedly affected. 3-OH methylation almost completely eliminated the capacity of the SM analog to form sterol-enriched ordered domains, whereas the 2-NH methylated SM analog formed sterol-enriched domains but these were less thermostable (and thus less ordered) than the domains formed by PSM. Cholestatrienol affinity to bilayers containing methylated SM analogs was also markedly reduced as compared to its affinity for bilayers containing PSM. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed further that cholesterol's bilayer location was deeper in PSM bilayers as compared to the location in bilayers made from methylated SM analogs. This study shows that the interfacial properties of SMs are very important for interlipid interactions and the formation of laterally ordered domains in complex bilayers.

Membrane bilayer properties of sphingomyelins with amide-linked 2- or 3-hydroxylated fatty acids.

The bilayer properties and interactions with cholesterol of N-acyl hydroxylated sphingomyelins (SM) were examined, and results were compared to nonhydroxylated chain-matched SM. The natural OH(D)-enantiomer of hydroxylated SM (with 16:0 or 22:0 acyl chain lengths) analogs was synthesized. Measuring steady-state diphenylhexatriene anisotropy, we observed that pure 2OH-SM bilayers always showed higher (5-10 °C) gel-liquid transition temperatures (T(m)) compared to their nonhydroxylated chain-matched analogs. Bilayers made from 3OH(D)-palmitoyl SM, however, had lower T(m) (5 °C) than palmitoyl SM. These data show that hydroxylation in a position-dependent manner directly affected SM interactions and gel state stability. From the c-laurdan emission spectra, we could observe that 2OH-palmitoyl SM bilayers showed a redshift in the emission compared to nonhydroxylated palmitoyl SM bilayers, whereas the opposite was true for c-laurdan emission in 3OH-palmitoyl SM bilayers. All hydroxylated SM analogs were able to form sterol-enriched ordered domains in a fluid phospholipid bilayer. 2-Hydroxylation appeared to increase domain thermostability compared to nonhydroxylated SM, whereas 3-hydroxylation appeared to decrease domain stability. When sterol affinity to bilayers containing SM analogs was determined (cholestatrienol partitioning), the affinity for hydroxylated SM analog bilayers was clearly reduced compared to the nonhydroxylated SM bilayers. Our results with hydroxylated SM analogs clearly show that hydroxylation affects interlipid interactions in a position-dependent manner.

Sphingomyelin analogs with branched N-acyl chains: the position of branching dramatically affects acyl chain order and sterol interactions in bilayer membranes.

Sphingolipids have been found to have single methyl branchings both in their long-chain base and in their N-linked acyl chains. In this study we determined how methyl-branching in the N-linked acyl chain of sphingomyelin (SM) affected their membrane properties. SM analogs with a single methyl-branching at carbon 15 (of a 17:0 acyl chain; anteiso) had a lower gel-liquid transition temperature as compared to an iso-branched SM analog. Phytanoyl SM (methyls at carbons 3, 7, 11 and 15) as well as a SM analog with a methyl on carbon 10 in a hexadecanoyl chain failed to show a gel-liquid transition above 10 degrees C. Only the two distally branched SM analogs (iso and anteiso) formed ordered domains with cholesterol in a 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine (POPC) bilayer. However, domains formed by the branched SM analogs appeared to contain less sterol when compared to palmitoyl SM (PSM) as the saturated phospholipid. Sterol-enriched domains formed by the anteiso SM analog were also less stable against temperature than domains formed by PSM. Both the 10-methyl and phytanoyl SM analogs failed to form sterol-enriched domains in the POPC bilayer. Acyl chain branching weakened SM/sterol interactions markedly when compared to PSM, as also evidenced from the decreased affinity of cholestatrienol to bilayers containing branched SM analogs. Our results show that methyl-branching weakened intermolecular interactions in a position-dependent manner.

Phosphatidyl alcohols: effect of head group size on domain forming properties and interactions with sterols.

In this study, we have examined the membrane properties and sterol interactions of phosphatidyl alcohols varying in the size of the alcohol head group coupled to the sn-3-linked phosphate. Phosphatidyl alcohols of interest were dipalmitoyl derivatives with methanol (DPPMe), ethanol (DPPEt), propanol (DPPPr), or butanol (DPPBu) head groups. The Phosphatidyl alcohols are biologically relevant, because they can be formed in membranes by the phospholipase D reaction in the presence of alcohol. The melting behavior of pure phosphatidyl alcohols and mixtures with 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) or cholesterol was assessed using high sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). DPPMe had the highest melting temperature ( approximately 49 degrees C), whereas the other phosphatidyl alcohols had similar melting temperatures as DPPC ( approximately 40-41 degrees C). All phosphatidyl alcohols, except DPPMe, also showed good miscibility with DPPC. The effects of cholesterol on the melting behavior and membrane order in multilamellar bilayer vesicles were assessed using steady-state anisotropy of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) and DSC. The ordering effect of cholesterol in the fluid phase was lower for all phosphatidyl alcohols as compared to DPPC and decreased with increasing head group size. The formation of ordered domains containing the phosphatidyl alcohols in complex bilayer membranes was determined using fluorescence quenching of DPH or the sterol analogue cholesta-5,7,(11)-trien-3-beta-ol (CTL). The phosphatidyl alcohols did not appear to form sterol-enriched ordered domains, whereas DPPMe, DPPEt appeared to form ordered domains in the temperature window examined (10-50 degrees C). The partitioning of CTL into bilayer membranes containing phosphatidyl alcohols was to a small extent increased for DPPMe and DPPEt, but in general, sterol interactions were weak or unfavorable for the phosphatidyl alcohols. Our results show that the biophysical and sterol interacting properties of phosphatidyl alcohols, having identical acyl chain structures, are markedly dependent on the size of the head group.