Effect of the phospholipid chain length and head group on beta-phase formation of poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) enclosed in liposomes.

We have studied the effect of head group and alkyl chain length on ß-phase formation in poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) (PFO) solubilized in phospholipid liposomes. Systems studied have three different alkyl chain lengths (1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine [DMPC], 1,2-didodecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine [DLPC], 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine [DPPC]) and head groups (1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphate monosodium salt [DMPA], 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine [DMPE] and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-l-serine sodium salt [DMPS]). Changes in liposome size upon addition of PFO are followed by dynamic light scattering. All the phospholipids induce the formation of PFO ß-phase, which is followed by the emission intensity and deconvolution of the absorption spectra. Both the head group and alkyl chain length affect the yield of ß-phase. The photophysics of PFO incorporated in liposomes is characterized by stationary and time-resolved fluorescence, whereas the polymer-phospholipid interactions have been studied by the effect of the PFO concentration on the phospholipid phase transitions (differential scanning calorimetry [DSC]).

A spectroscopic study of the interaction of the fluorescent beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid N-methylamide with DNA constituents: nucleobases, nucleosides and nucleotides.

Interaction between beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid N-methylamide, betaCMAM, and nucleobases, nucleosides and nucleotides is studied in the ground state with UV-visible, (1)H NMR and (31)P NMR spectroscopies and in the first excited state, with steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. Job plots show a predominant 1:1 interaction in both electronic states. Association constants are estimated from changes in the absorption spectra, and show that the strongest interaction is produced with the nucleosides: 2'-deoxyadenosine (dAdo) and thymidine (Thd), and with the mononucleotides: 2'-deoxycytidine 5'- monophosphate (5'-dCMP) and uridine 5'- monophosphate (5'-UMP). These results are corroborated by the upfield shifts of two (1)H NMR resonances of the betaCMAM indole group. The (31)P NMR resonance of nucleotides is shifted downfield, suggesting the presence of electrostatic or hydrogen bond interaction with betaCMAM. In the first electronic singlet excited state, static and dynamic quenching of betaCMAM emission is achieved upon addition of nucleobases, nucleosides and nucleotides. This has been analysed using Stern-Volmer kinetics.