Lipophilic Ions Research Articles

Formation of blue membrane of bacteriorhodopsin by addition of tetrakis(4-fluorophenyl)boron, an hydrophobic anion

Abstract Bacteriorhodopsin is known to lose its purple color and turn blue when it is either acidified below pH 3.2 or deionized. We have found that a lipophilic anion, tetrakis(4-fluorophenyl)boron (TFPB − ) changed the color of bacteriorhodopsin from purple to blue even at neutral pH. TFPB − can mimic the action of H + , although its charge is opposite. Addition of low concentrations of lipophilic cation into deionized blue membranes restored the color to purple. These results were analyzed in terms of the change in surface potential caused by the binding of lipophilic anions and cations. Analysis with Gouy-Chapman theory suggested the presence of a specific binding site which is hydrophobic and located near the retinal. It seems that the surface potential in the local surface domain covering this binding site is different from that of a whole membrane surface, and affects the binding of lipophilic ions to the site. The change in the electrical potential nearby the binding site caused by the binding of the lipophilic ion is considered to change the dissociation of color-controlling group(s) and to induce the color conversion of the membrane.

Binding of lipophilic cations to the liposomal membrane: thermodynamic analysis

Lipophilic ions are widely used as probes for measuring membrane potentials. Since binding of the probes to the membrane interferes with the accurate estimation of the membrane potential, it is necessary to clarify the characteristics of probe binding to membranes. The present paper deals with the binding of lipophilic cations to liposomes. The results can be summarized as follows: (1) The binding of triphenylmethylphosphonium, its homologues and tetraphenylphosphonium to liposomes of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine followed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. (2) Spin-labeled lipophilic cations were synthesized and the binding to liposomes of egg phosphatidylcholine was examined. The binding also followed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The dissociation constant (the concentration giving half-maximal binding), K, was independent of the temperature, indicating that the binding is entropy-driven. (3) The binding was influenced by the fluidity of the membrane. Except in the case of triphenylmethylphosphonium (TPMP+), K and A (maximum amounts of binding) increased above the transition temperature. In other words, above the phase transition temperature the binding affinity is decreased, while maximum amounts of binding are increased for all phosphoniums used except TPMP+.

Hypochlorous acid-promoted loss of metabolic energy in Escherichia coli.

Oxidation of Escherichia coli by hypochlorous acid (HOCl) or chloramine (NH2Cl) gives rise to massive hydrolysis of cytosolic nucleotide phosphoanhydride bonds, although no immediate change occurs in either the nucleotide pool size or the concentrations of extracellular end products of AMP catabolism. Titrimetric curves of the extent of hydrolysis coincide with curves for loss of cell viability, e.g., reduction in the adenylate energy charge from 0.8 to 0.1-0.2 accompanies loss of 99% of the bacterial CFU. The oxidative damage caused by HOCl is irreversible within 100 ms of exposure of the organism, although nucleotide phosphate bond hydrolysis requires several minutes to reach completion. Neither HOCl nor NH2Cl reacts directly with nucleotides to hydrolyze phosphoanhydride bonds. Loss of viability is also accompanied by inhibition of induction of beta-galactosidase. The proton motive force, determined from the distribution of 14C-radiolabeled lipophilic ions, declines with incremental addition of HOCl after loss of respiratory function; severalfold more oxidant is required for the dissipation of the proton motive force than for loss of viability. These observations establish a causal link between loss of metabolic energy and cellular death and indicate that the mechanisms of oxidant-induced nucleotide phosphate bond hydrolysis are indirect and that they probably involve damage to the energy-transducing and transport proteins located in the bacterial plasma membrane.

Charge-dependent regulation of NADPH oxidase activity in guinea-pig polymorphonuclear leukocytes

The mechanism of respiratory burst was studied by modulating membrane surfaces with lipophilic ions in guinea-pig polymorphonuclear leukocytes and their subcellular membranes. Positively charged alkylamines in concentration ranges of 0.5 to 15 microM (ED50 values) inhibited the O2- generation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, N-formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine, A23187, myristate and arachidonate in intact cells, and the inhibition was relieved by negatively charged agents. A similar molecular size of alkylalcohols had no effects. A similar charge-dependent O2- generation was also observed with fatty acids in subcellular membrane fractions prepared from unstimulated control cells, and this was insensitive to H-7 and W-7. These results suggest that triggering of NADPH oxidase activation involves a reaction(s) that is regulated by membrane charges.

Dynamic polarization of lipid bilayers as a special case in the electrochemistry of liquid/liquid interfaces

Dynamically obtained current/voltage curves of bilayer lipid membranes partitioning a solution of lipophilic ions are compared with the results of the type expected in a voltammetry experiment involving ionic transport across a liquid/liquid interface. Lipophilic ions yielding “voltammograms” analogous to reversible and irreversible voltammograms (in conventional electrochemical systems) are reported. Also reported are examples of ions which yield what may be analogous to a masked response, a phenomenon known in the literature of liquid/liquid interfaces. Although the behavior of the two systems is similar, there exist differences in the interpretation of the voltammograms and suggestions are offered for an energetic and mechanistic interpretation of the membrane voltammogram.

Modulation of the voltage-sensitive Na+/H+ exchange in sea urchin spermatozoa through membrane potential changes induced by the egg peptide speract.

Sea urchin sperm motility can be activated by alkalinization of the internal pH, and previous studies have shown that the internal pH can be regulated by a voltage-sensitive Na+/H+ exchanger present in the flagellar plasma membrane. In this study, the effects of speract, a peptide purified from egg conditioned media, on the Na+/H+ exchange were investigated. Evidence presented indicates that speract activates K+ channels in the flagellar membrane and modulates the Na+/H+ exchange activity through resultant changes in membrane potential. In the presence of tetraphenylphosphonium, a lipophilic ion, or high external Na+, the isolated flagella were depolarized, and Na+/H+ exchanger was inhibited. Speract and valinomycin, a K+ ionophore, were able to reactivate 22Na+ uptake, H+ efflux, and alkalinization of intraflagellar pH under either of the depolarizing conditions. Membrane potential measurements using 3,3'-dipropylthiodicarbocyanide iodide indicated repolarization by either speract or valinomycin. The speract-induced voltage changes did not require Na+ but were sensitive to [K+]. Thus, speract induced a slight depolarization in Na+-free seawater with 10 mM K+ but a hyperpolarization with 2 mM K+. Further support for the activation of K+ channels in the flagella was the 2-5-fold stimulation of K+ efflux induced by speract as measured with a K+ electrode. The ionic selectivity of the speract-activated channel assessed by voltage measurements was K+ greater than Rb+ greater than Cs+. The half-maximally effective concentration of speract was about 0.2 nM. That the H+ and K+ efflux in response to peptide was receptor-mediated was confirmed by the use of speract or resact on intact sea urchin spermatozoa, where the peptides were found to stimulate K+ efflux and to reverse the tetraphenylphosphonium inhibition on H+ efflux only in the homologous spermatozoa. Modulation of the voltage-sensitive Na+/H+ exchange by egg peptides, therefore, appears to be indirect and is coupled through its action on membrane potential.

Polymerization in black lipid membranes

A variety of different lipids containing dienoyl groups in the side chains were tested for membrane formation using the planar lipid bilayer approach. One of these lipids formed stable bilayers which could be polymerized using UV-illumination. The influence of the polymerization was studied in monolayers, lipid vesicles and planar bilayers. The stability of the lipid bilayer membranes was increased by polymerization. Thus, the lifetime of the membranes increased from about 1 h to 4–5 h or longer. Furthermore, the specific conductance of unmodified membranes and of carrier-mediated transport is reduced. The transport of lipophilic ions was investigated as a function of polymerization using the charge-pulse method. The absorption of dipicrylamine (DPA-) is not affected. The translocation of this compound and of tetraphenylborate (B(Ph) 4 - ) showed a strong decrease with polymerization time. The influence of polymerization on the membrane structure may be explained on the basis of a strong viscosity increase in the lipid bilayer membrane.

Effects of hydrostatic pressure on lipid bilayer membranes. I. Influence on membrane thickness and activation volumes of lipophilic ion transport

Measurements of membrane capacitance, Cm, were performed on lipid bilayers of different lipidic composition (diphytanoyl phosphatidylcholine PPhPC, dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine DOPE, glycerylmonooleate GMO) and containing n-decane as solvent. In the same membranes, the absorption of the lipophilic ions dipicrylamine (DPA-) and tetraphenylborate (TPhB-), and the kinetics of their translocation between the two membrane faces have been studied. The data were obtained from charge pulse relaxation measurements. Upon increasing pressure the specific capacity Cm increased in a fully reversible and reproducible way reflecting a thinning of the membrane that is attributed to extrusion of n-decane from the black membrane area. High pressure decreased the rate constant, ki, for lipophilic ion translocation. After correcting for changes in the height of the energy barrier for translocation due to membrane thinning the pressure dependence of ki yields an apparent activation volume for translocation of approximately 14 cm3/mol both for DPA- and TPhB-. Changes in lipophilic ion absorption following a step of pressure developed with a rather slow time course due to diffusion limitations in solution. The stationary concentration of membrane absorbed lipophilic ions increased with pressure according to an apparent volume of absorption of about -10 cm3/mol. The relevance of the results for the interpretation of the effects of pressure on nerve membrane physiology is discussed.

Monitoring of cell potentials with an electrode sensitive to lipophilic ions

Abstract Lipophilic ions are used as probes for the membrane potential of small cells which are unable to be impaled by microelectrodes. The ambiguity of this estimation is the binding of the probe to the membrane, which gives rise to the overestimation. To remove the ambiguity, the present study was done. The probes used are a homologous series of (Phe) 3 P + (CH 2 ) n CH 3 ( n = 0—5) and tetraphenylphosphonium. The membrane used was an envelope vesicle of Halobacterium hatobium which upon illumination generated the interior-negative membrane potential. In the dark, where no membrane potential was generated, the binding to the membrane was measured and analysed with the Langmuir isotherm. Upon illumination, probes were accumulated into vesicles where probes are present in two bound and free populations. Free probe concentration was estimated using various binding models to calculate the membrane potential.

Improved stability of black lipid membranes by coating with polysaccharide derivatives bearing hydrophobic anchor groups

Abstract Black lipid membranes were coated with modified polysaccharides bearing hydrophobic palmitoyl and cholesteryl moieties. The changes in membrane structure were investigated using dipicrylamine, a lipophilic ion, as membrane probe. The kinetics of ion transport through the black lipid membranes were studied using the charge pulse relaxation technique. With this technique it was found that it is possible to detect the insertion of the hydrophobic anchor groups of the polysaccharides into the membrane bilayer. As a result of the surface coating, these membranes exhibit a drastically increased long-term stability.

Charge changes in sarcoplasmic reticulum and Ca2+-ATPase induced by calcium binding and release: a study using lipophilic ions.

Changes in the charge of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicles are studied using lipophilic ions, which are adsorbed by the membrane phase. Upon addition of MgATP, phenyldicarbaundecaborane (PCB-) and tetraphenylboron (TPB-) are taken up by the SR vesicles, while tetraphenylphosphonium (TPP+) is released into the water phase. The PCB- uptake occurs as well under conditions when SR membrane is shunted by high Cl- concentration. MgATP induces minor additional binding of PCB- in the presence of oxalate and it is followed by release of the lipophilic anion from the vesicles. EGTA partly reverses the ATP effect, and calcium ionophore A23187 plus EGTA reverses it completely. Vesicles that were preliminarily loaded by Ca2+ demonstrated higher passive and lower ATP-dependent PCB- binding. Activation of isolated Ca2+-ATPase in the presence of 0.1 mM EGTA results in PCB- release into the medium and additional TPP+ binding to the enzyme. We suggest that the redistribution of the lipophilic ions between the water phase and SR membrane reflects charge changes in Ca2+-binding sites inside both SR vesicles and Ca2+-ATPase molecules in the course of Ca2+ translocation.

Transport rate of various lipophilic ions through membranes of Halobacterium halobium

Abstract Various phosphonium cations have been used as probes for the membrane potential. The kinetics of the transport of phosphonium cations through the membrane of envelope vesicles of Halobacterium halobium were analysed. The phosphonium cations used were a homologous series of (Phe)3-P+ -(CH2)n-CH3 (n = 0–5) and tetraphenylphosphonium (TPP+). The order of magnitude of the kinetic constant of various phosphonium cations was approximately equal to that of the binding. The on-kinetic constant depends on the membrane potential generated and shows a minimum at −90 to −100 mV, while the off-kinetic constant is independent of the membrane potential which had been generated before the measurement.

Determination of membrane potential with lipophilic cations: correction of probe binding

The binding of lipophilic ions to the membrane of envelope vesicles from Halobacterium halobium was examined in the absence and presence of membrane potential. The lipophilic ions used constitute a homologous series of (Phe)3-P+-(CH2)n-CH3 (n = 0–4) and tetraphenylphosphonium (TPP+). In the absence of membrane potential, the amounts of binding were proportional to the probe concentration in the medium when the concentration is dilute. Upon illumination, interior negative membrane potential is generated which induces the uptake of phosphonium cation probe. 2 μM were employed as the initial probe concentration. The real membrane potential was evaluated by means of extrapolation to the state of no binding: The values of CiappCo for various probes are plotted against the binding coefficient. Here, Ciapp is the apparent intra-vesicular concentration of the probes which is calculated without consideration of bound probes. The ordinate intercept of the plot gives the true concentration ratio, and from this the membrane potential is evaluated. The membrane potential-dependent binding was analysed with a model: the membrane is split into two halves, outer and inner half, and the amounts of bound probes in each region are governed by the concentration in the contiguous solution. We obtained a formula which describes amounts of binding as a function of the membrane potential.

Ion pair formation and gastrointestinal absorption of emepronium.

Ion pair forming agents were evaluated in vitro for their ability to form lipophilic ion pairs with the quaternary ammonium compound emepronium and in vivo to enhance its gastrointestinal absorption. A 5- to 100-fold excess of trichloroacetate (TCA), diethylhexylphosphate (DEHPA), heptafluorobutyrate (HFBA), sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), bromide or chloride all increased the extractability of the emepronium ion into methylene chloride. The additive with the most marked effect on the apparent partition coefficient of emepronium (Kapp) was SLS. At emepronium 10(-4) M, Kapp increased from a basal value of 0.1 to 368 with a 100-fold molar excess. However, the increased partitioning to methylene chloride was not reflected in an increased gastrointestinal absorption of the emepronium ion when this was given orally to mice. When intestinal juice, instead of distilled water or buffer, was used as the aqueous phase, the partition coefficient was markedly higher (Kapp approximately 2) but it was significantly less influenced by addition of sodium lauryl sulphate (Kapp approximately 6). The preexisting positive influence of the intestinal juice on the lipophilic character of emepronium and the rather limited additive effect of agents that form lipophilic complexes with emepronium, lead to the conclusion that the ion pair concept is not a suitable approach to enhance the gastrointestinal absorption of this drug.

Optical and electrical properties of thin monoolein lipid bilayers.

Monoolein lipid bilayers were formed using a monolayer transfer technique and from dispersions of monoolein in squalene, triolein, 1-chlorodecane and 1-bromodecane. Measurements of optical reflectance and electrical capacitance were used to determine the thickness and dielectric constant of the bilayers. The thickness of the hydrocarbon region of the five bilayer systems ranged from 2.5 to 3.0 nm. Two of the bilayer systems (made from 1-chlorodecane and 1-bromodecane solvents) had a high dielectric constant (2.8 to 2.9) whereas the other bilayer systems had dielectric constants close to that of pure hydrocarbons (2.2). The charge-pulse technique was used to study the transport kinetics of three lipophilic ions and two ion carrier complexes in the bilayers. For the low dielectric constant bilayers, the transport of the lipophilic ions tetraphenylborate, tetraphenylarsonium and dipicrylamine was governed mainly by the thickness of the hydrocarbon region of the bilayer whereas the transport of the ion-carrier complexes proline valinomycin-K+ and valinomycin-Rb+ was nearly independent of thickness. This is consistent with previous studies on thicker monoolein bilayers. The transport of lipophilic anions across bilayers with a high dielectric constant was 20 to 50 times greater than expected on the basis of thickness alone. This agrees qualitatively with predictions based on Born charging energy calculations. High dielectric constant bilayers were three times more permeable to the proline valinomycin-K+ complex than were low dielectric constant bilayers but were just as permeable as low dielectric constant bilayers to the valinomycin-Rb+ complex.

Use of digitonin fractionation to determine mitochondrial transmembrane ion distribution in cells during anoxia

A method to determine intracellular distribution of ions and metabolites under conditions of low oxygen concentration was developed. The technique involves rapid digitonin fractionation and addition of cyanide to inhibit reoxygenation. Applicability of the procedure was examined by studying the distribution of the lipophilic ion triphenylmethylphosphonium, the weak acid 5,5-dimethyloxazolidine-2,4-dione, and adenine nucleotides.

Rotation of a single swollen thylakoid vesicle in a rotating electric field. Electrical properties of the photosynthetic membrane and their modification by ionophores, lipophilic ions and pH

Abstract Rotation of single swollen thylakoid vesicles (‘blebs’) was induced by means of a rotating electric field of strength 104 V · cm −1 , inducing a membrane voltage of 72 mV peak. Within the range of medium conductives described (40–300 μ S · cm −1 ), measurement of the field frequency (2–100 kHz) giving maximum rotation rate is equivalent to measuring the electrical time constant of the bleb membrane. Hence the membrane capacity (specific capacitance) was determined, and the value found at pH 8.1 (0.93 ± 0.07 μ F · cm −2 ) is in agreement with values deduced from measurements using other techniques. However, the capacity was also found to decreased with pH: a minimum value of 0.77 ± 0.01 μ F · cm −2 was measured at pH 4.4. The present study was extended to measurements of the effects of the lipid-soluble anion of dipicrylamine on the membrane capacity. At pH 7.2 and dipicrylamine concentration of 1.0 μM, a minimum estimate of the apparent membrane capacity was found to be 2.0 ± 0.2 μ F · cm −2 , with 2.6 ± 0.2 μ F · cm −2 being observed at 5.0 μM concentration. In addition, it was found possible to measure the membrane resistivity (specific resistance) in the presence of either gramicidin (1.0 to 10 nM) or valinomycin (1.0 to 10 μM). In the case of gramicidin, it was possible to derive a maximum estimate of the mean channel conductance, and this agrees very well with the values for individual, single channels that may be deduced from artificial bilayer work. Unless the gramicidin channels in blebs are in fact substantially more conductive than in artificial bilayers, this indicates that a high percentage of the added gramicidin forms channels which are open for most of the time. In the case of valinomycin, a much greater amount had to be added to produce the same reduction of membrane resistivity as seen with a given concentration of gramicidin. However, calculations indicate that the majority of this effect is due to the difference in partioning behaviour of the two ionophores.

Determination of membrane potential with lipophilic cations. Comparison of estimated values with various phosphonium ions

Abstract The binding of lipophilic ions to the membrane of envelope vesicles from Halobacterium halobium was examined. The lipophilic ions used constitute a homologous series of (Phe) 3 -P + -(CH 2 ) n -CH 3 ( n = 0–5) and tetraphenylphosphonium (TPP + ). In the absence of membrane potential, the binding of probes to the membrane was measured. For the probes of n = 0 and n = 1, and for TPP + , binding followed the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. For other probes, analysis revealed the presence of two, high- and low-affinity, binding sites. Upon illumination, which generated the membrane potential, the probe molecules were accumulated into the vesicles. If we ignore the membrane-potential-dependent binding of the probe molecules, the estimated values are larger when the probe used is more hydrophobic. We have tested some models describing the amount of probe bound on membranes in terms of concentration of free probe inside and outside the vesicles. No model has fulfilled the criterion of valid estimation that the membrane potentials estimated are independent of probes used. An experimental method for the estimation of true membrane potential is proposed. Effects of tetraphenylboron on the estimation of membrane potential and on the transport rate of phosphonium cations were examined.

Phase transition and lateral phase separation in planar lipid membranes as sensed by the lipophilic ion dipicrylamine

Abstract The permeation of the lipophilic ion dipicrylamine through planar lipid membranes formed from dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine in n -decane shows an anomaly near the main phase transition of this system. Both the rate constant, k i , of ion translocation across the membrane interior and the interfacial concentration, N , of this ion have a maximum at about 36°C. Analogous experiments were performed with tetraphenylborate. A considerably lesser effect of the phase transition was found. The addition of cholesterol leads to a broadening of the maxima for k i and N . The time course of the current following a voltage jump shows a characteristic change below a temperature of about 45°C, if the molar ratio cholesterol/ phosphatidylcholine in the membrane forming solution exceeds 1. While the current transient decays exponentially above 45°C, a sum of two exponential terms yields an adequate fit below that temperature. This is regarded as evidence for a lateral phase separation below 45°C into structurally different domains, which provide two different pathways for dipicrylamine.

Sulfate transport by mouse renal cortical slices does not represent uptake by brush-border membrane

We measured uptake of isotopically 35S-labelled sulfate anion by slices and by brush border membrane vesicles prepared from mouse renal cortex to identify: (i) whether metabolic incorporation of anion influences net transport; (ii) which membrane is primarily exposed in the renal cortex slice. Slices accumulated sulfate without significant incorporation into metabolic pools. Net uptake of sulfate at 0.1 mM by the slice occurred against an electrochemical gradient as determined by measurement of free intracellular sulfate concentration, the isotopic distribution ratio at steady-state, and the distribution of lipophilic ions (TPP+ and SCN-). Carrier mediation of sulfate transport in the slice was confirmed by observing concentration-dependent saturation of net uptake and counter-transport stimulation of efflux. Anion uptake was Na+-independent, K+- and H+-stimulated, and inhibited by disulfonated stilbenes. Brush-border membrane vesicles accumulated sulfate by a saturable mechanism dependent on a Na+ gradient (outside greater than inside); others have shown that uptake of sulfate by brush-border membrane vesicles is insensitive to inhibition by disulfonated stilbenes. These findings indicate that different mechanisms serve sulfate transport in renal cortex slice and brush-border membrane vesicle preparations. They also imply that the slice exposes an epithelial surface different from the brush-border, presumably the basolateral membrane, or its equivalent, since sulfate transport by slices resembles that observed with isolated basolateral membrane vesicles.