Biomaterial Database

Fluorescence polarization in studies of bacterial cytoplasmic membrane fluidity under environmental stress. 2007

N C S Mykytczuk, and J T Trevors, and L G Leduc, and G D Ferroni

Department of Biology, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada P3E 2C6. nx_mykytczuk@laurentian.ca

The integrity of the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane is critical in maintaining the viability of cells and their metabolic functions, particularly under stress. Bacteria actively adjust membrane fluidity through changes in lipid composition in response to variations in temperature, pressure, ion concentrations, pH, nutrient availability, and xenobiotics. Fluorescence polarization methods are valuable for measuring bacterial cytoplasmic membrane fluidity. In this review we discuss the mechanisms of bacterial membrane adaptations and present data from research using 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatirene (DPH) as a measure of membrane fluidity and phase transitions. We illustrate the range of fluidity in viable cells, extracted membranes, and liposomes under optimal and stressed physiological conditions.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007477	Ions	An atom or group of atoms that have a positive or negative electric charge due to a gain (negative charge) or loss (positive charge) of one or more electrons. Atoms with a positive charge are known as CATIONS; those with a negative charge are ANIONS.
D008560	Membrane Fluidity	The motion of phospholipid molecules within the lipid bilayer, dependent on the classes of phospholipids present, their fatty acid composition and degree of unsaturation of the acyl chains, the cholesterol concentration, and temperature.	Bilayer Fluidity,Bilayer Fluidities,Fluidities, Bilayer,Fluidities, Membrane,Fluidity, Bilayer,Fluidity, Membrane,Membrane Fluidities
D008563	Membrane Lipids	Lipids, predominantly phospholipids, cholesterol and small amounts of glycolipids found in membranes including cellular and intracellular membranes. These lipids may be arranged in bilayers in the membranes with integral proteins between the layers and peripheral proteins attached to the outside. Membrane lipids are required for active transport, several enzymatic activities and membrane formation.	Cell Membrane Lipid,Cell Membrane Lipids,Membrane Lipid,Lipid, Cell Membrane,Lipid, Membrane,Lipids, Cell Membrane,Lipids, Membrane,Membrane Lipid, Cell,Membrane Lipids, Cell
D002462	Cell Membrane	The lipid- and protein-containing, selectively permeable membrane that surrounds the cytoplasm in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.	Plasma Membrane,Cytoplasmic Membrane,Cell Membranes,Cytoplasmic Membranes,Membrane, Cell,Membrane, Cytoplasmic,Membrane, Plasma,Membranes, Cell,Membranes, Cytoplasmic,Membranes, Plasma,Plasma Membranes
D004777	Environment	The external elements and conditions which surround, influence, and affect the life and development of an organism or population.	Environmental Impact,Environmental Impacts,Impact, Environmental,Impacts, Environmental,Environments
D005454	Fluorescence Polarization	Measurement of the polarization of fluorescent light from solutions or microscopic specimens. It is used to provide information concerning molecular size, shape, and conformation, molecular anisotropy, electronic energy transfer, molecular interaction, including dye and coenzyme binding, and the antigen-antibody reaction.	Anisotropy, Fluorescence,Fluorescence Anisotropy,Polarization, Fluorescence,Anisotropies, Fluorescence,Fluorescence Anisotropies,Fluorescence Polarizations,Polarizations, Fluorescence
D006863	Hydrogen-Ion Concentration	The normality of a solution with respect to HYDROGEN ions; H+. It is related to acidity measurements in most cases by pH	pH,Concentration, Hydrogen-Ion,Concentrations, Hydrogen-Ion,Hydrogen Ion Concentration,Hydrogen-Ion Concentrations
D001274	Atmospheric Pressure	The pressure at any point in an atmosphere due solely to the weight of the atmospheric gases above the point concerned.	Atmospheric Pressures,Pressure, Atmospheric,Pressures, Atmospheric
D001419	Bacteria	One of the three domains of life (the others being Eukarya and ARCHAEA), also called Eubacteria. They are unicellular prokaryotic microorganisms which generally possess rigid cell walls, multiply by cell division, and exhibit three principal forms: round or coccal, rodlike or bacillary, and spiral or spirochetal. Bacteria can be classified by their response to OXYGEN: aerobic, anaerobic, or facultatively anaerobic; by the mode by which they obtain their energy: chemotrophy (via chemical reaction) or PHOTOTROPHY (via light reaction); for chemotrophs by their source of chemical energy: CHEMOLITHOTROPHY (from inorganic compounds) or chemoorganotrophy (from organic compounds); and by their source for CARBON; NITROGEN; etc.; HETEROTROPHY (from organic sources) or AUTOTROPHY (from CARBON DIOXIDE). They can also be classified by whether or not they stain (based on the structure of their CELL WALLS) with CRYSTAL VIOLET dye: gram-negative or gram-positive.	Eubacteria
D013696	Temperature	The property of objects that determines the direction of heat flow when they are placed in direct thermal contact. The temperature is the energy of microscopic motions (vibrational and translational) of the particles of atoms.	Temperatures