The new fluorescent membrane probe Ahba: a comparative study with the largely used Laurdan. 2013

Cintia C Vequi-Suplicy, and M Teresa Lamy, and Cássia A Marquezin
Instituto de Física, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

Lipid bilayers have been largely used as model systems for biological membranes. Hence, their structures, and alterations caused on them by biological active molecules, have been the subject of many studies. Accordingly, fluorescent probes incorporated into lipid bilayers have been extensively used for characterizing lipid bilayer fluidity and/or polarity. However, for the proper analysis of the alterations undergone by a membrane, a comprehensive knowledge of the fluorescent properties of the probe is fundamental. Therefore, the present work compares fluorescent properties of a relative new fluorescent membrane probe, 2-amino-N-hexadecyl-benzamide (Ahba), with the largely used probe 6-dodecanoyl-N,N-dimethyl-2-naphthylamine (Laurdan), using both static and time resolved fluorescence. Both Ahba and Laurdan have the fluorescent moiety close to the bilayer surface; Ahba has a rather small fluorescent moiety, which was shown to be very sensitive to the bilayer surface pH. The main goal was to point out the fluorescent properties of each probe that are most sensitive to structural alterations on a lipid bilayer. The two probes were incorporated into bilayers of the well-studied zwitterionic lipid dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC), which exhibits a gel-fluid transition around 23 °C. The system was monitored between 5 and 50 °C, hence allowing the study of the two different lipid structures, the gel and fluid bilayer phases, and the transition between them. As it is known, the fluorescent emission spectrum of Laurdan is highly sensitive to the bilayer gel-fluid transition, whereas the Ahba fluorescence spectrum was found to be insensitive to changes in bilayer structure and polarity, which are known to happen at the gel-fluid transition. However, both probes monitor the bilayer gel-fluid transition through fluorescence anisotropy measurements. With time-resolved fluorescence, it was possible to show that bilayer structural variations can be monitored by Laurdan excited state lifetimes changes, whereas Ahba lifetimes were found to be insensitive to bilayer structural modifications. Through anisotropy time decay measurements, both probes could monitor structural bilayer changes, but the limiting anisotropy was found to be a better parameter than the rotational correlation time. It is interesting to have in mind that the relatively small fluorophore of Ahba (o-Abz) could possibly be bound to a phospholipid hydrocarbon chain, not disturbing much the bilayer packing and being a sensitive probe for the bilayer core.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007848 Laurates Salts and esters of the 12-carbon saturated monocarboxylic acid--lauric acid. Dodecanoates
D008051 Lipid Bilayers Layers of lipid molecules which are two molecules thick. Bilayer systems are frequently studied as models of biological membranes. Bilayers, Lipid,Bilayer, Lipid,Lipid Bilayer
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
D004134 Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine A synthetic phospholipid used in liposomes and lipid bilayers for the study of biological membranes. Dimyristoyllecithin,1,2-Dimyristoyl-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine,1,2-Ditetradecanoyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine,1,2-Ditetradecyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine,DMCP,DMPC,1,2 Dimyristoyl glycero 3 phosphorylcholine,1,2 Ditetradecanoyl glycero 3 phosphocholine,1,2 Ditetradecyl glycero 3 phosphocholine
D005456 Fluorescent Dyes Chemicals that emit light after excitation by light. The wave length of the emitted light is usually longer than that of the incident light. Fluorochromes are substances that cause fluorescence in other substances, i.e., dyes used to mark or label other compounds with fluorescent tags. Flourescent Agent,Fluorescent Dye,Fluorescent Probe,Fluorescent Probes,Fluorochrome,Fluorochromes,Fluorogenic Substrates,Fluorescence Agents,Fluorescent Agents,Fluorogenic Substrate,Agents, Fluorescence,Agents, Fluorescent,Dyes, Fluorescent,Probes, Fluorescent,Substrates, Fluorogenic
D001549 Benzamides BENZOIC ACID amides.
D013050 Spectrometry, Fluorescence Measurement of the intensity and quality of fluorescence. Fluorescence Spectrophotometry,Fluorescence Spectroscopy,Spectrofluorometry,Fluorescence Spectrometry,Spectrophotometry, Fluorescence,Spectroscopy, Fluorescence
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
D013997 Time Factors Elements of limited time intervals, contributing to particular results or situations. Time Series,Factor, Time,Time Factor
D015081 2-Naphthylamine A naphthalene derivative with carcinogenic action. 2-Aminonaphthalene,beta-Naphthylamine,2 Aminonaphthalene,2 Naphthylamine,beta Naphthylamine

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