L.E.Göran Eriksson

The fluidity and organization of mitochondrial membrane lipids of the brown adipose tissue of cold-adapted rats and hamsters as determined by nitroxide spin probes☆

Abstract A detailed study of lipid fluidity and organization in the mitochondria of the brown adipose tissue from warm- and cold-adapted rats (nonhibernators) and hamsters (hibernators) is made in order to delineate any relationship between lipid properties and the ability to lower body temperature after cold-adaptation. Complete phospholipid analyses are presented; the data are very similar for cold- and warm-adapted rats, and for cold- and warm-adapted hamsters, but the rat lipids have a higher degree of unsaturation than those of the hamsters. Spin probe analogs of stearic acid and cholestane were used to investigate at the molecular level the fluidity and order of the mitochondrial lipids. Studies were made on intact mitochondria, and in liposomes and oriented multibilayers of extracted lipids. In no case was evidence found for a phase transition in the lipids, or for a relationship between the lipid fluidity in brown adipose tissue mitochondria and the ability to survive at lowered body temperatures. The spin probes generally had a decreased mobility in mitochondria relative to extracted lipids. The electron spin resonance spectra were analyzed to include order- and time-dependent phenomena by a recent stochastic method. The results show that more approximate analyses for order parameters and correlation times can yield incorrect conclusions. As segmental motion decreases in rate, order parameters will be overestimated. Decreasing rates of pseudoisotropic motion lead to incorrect estimates of rotational correlation times. Either of the above can result in the inference of an artifactual phase transition in the lipids.

Surface potential effects on metal ion binding to phosphatidylcholine membranes 31P NMR study of lanthanide and calcium ion binding to egg-yolk lecithin vesicles.

31P NMR of phosphatidylcholine (lecithin) from egg-yolk in sonicated vesicles has been measured in the presence of various ions. Addition of Ln3+ or Ca2+ shifted the 31P resonance of the phosphate groups of the outer surface of the vesicles. These shifts were measured at varied lanthanide or Ca2+ concentration at different ionic strengths obtained by addition of NaCl. The shifts induced by Tb3+ and Ca2+ have been analyzed using the theory of the diffuse double layer. Corrections were introduced for the effect of the ionic strength on the activities of the ions. The binding efficiency is shown to be controlled by the electrostatic potential produced by the bound cations at the membrane surface. This potential is slightly modified due to weak chloride binding. Binding constants have been derived.

The interaction of various lanthanide ions and some anions with phosphatidylcholine vesicle membranes A 31P NMR study of the surface potential effects

The interaction of various lanthanide ions with vesicles of phosphatidylcholine from egg yolk has been followed by 31P NMR at 30 degrees C. From known magnetic properties of these ions, separation of the paramagnetic shift into a pure contact and a pseudo-contact part was carried out. Binding curves for the contact contribution (F curves) were obtained from vesicles in solutions of sodium salts with monovalent anions over a wide concentration range. These curves should be insensitive to any conformational effects due to ion binding. Indication of a conformational change in the lipid head group at low ion binding was obtained by studying the ratio between the contact and the pseudo-contact contributions. Besides the adsorption of lanthanide ions, specific anion binding to the surface was introduced to account for the enhanced chemical shifts (Cl- < Br- < NO3-). The results were analyzed in terms of the theory for the diffuse double layer (Gouy-Chapman-Grahame) with equilibrium conditions for the adsorbing cations and anions. Simulations of the titration curves furnished parameters for the ion-lipid interactions. The synergism between the cations and anions follows from the potential effects. Comparison of results with lanthanide ions and Ca2+ indicates that the anion adsorption probably depends on the nature of the adsorbed cation. Lanthanide ion binding to L-glycerophosphorylcholine is not influenced by sodium salts. The binding constant for this complex is weaker than with phosphatidylcholine. The chemical shifts for the lanthanide ion complexes with these two phosphorus compounds seem to be about the same.

ESR spectral analysis of the molecular motion of spin labels in lipid bilayers and membranes based on a model in terms of two angular motional parameters and rotational correlation times.

Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectral line shapes are calculated for a nitroxide spin-labeled molecule undergoing rapid restricted rotations (twisting) about its long molecular axis while simultaneously tumbling within a cone. Explicit expressions are derived for the hyperfine splittings and g-values, as well as for the secular contributions to the motionally modulated linewidths. The present model is useful for analyzing the restricted twisting and tumbling motions, and rotational correlation times, of spin-labeled molecules in bilayers. Simulated spectra compare well with experimental spectra of lecithin bilayers marked with cholestane spin label, over a wide temperature range.

Molecular motion and order in oriented lipid multibilayer membranes evaluated by simulations of spin label ESR spectra. Effects of temperature, cholesterol and magnetic field

A simulation method to interpret electron spin resonance (ESR) of spin labelled amphiphilic molecules in oriented phosphatidylcholine multibilayers in terms of a restricted motional model is presented. Order and motion of the cholestane spin label (3-spiro-doxyl-5alpha-cholestane) incorporated into egg yolk phosphatidylcholine, dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine, pure and in mixture with cholesterol, were studied at various temperatures. With egg yolk phosphatidylcholine identical sets of motional parameters were obtained from simulations of ESR spectra obtained at three microwave frequencies (X-, K- and Q-band). With dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine analyses of the spectra show that phase transitions occur in samples containing up to 30 mol % cholesterol. The activation energy for the motion of the spin label is about three times larger above than below the phase transition, indicating a more collective motion in the lipid crystalline state than in the gel state. In the liquid crystalline state the activation energy is larger in the pure phosphatidylcholines than with cholesterol added. Additions of cholesterol to egg phosphatidylcholine induces a higher molecular order but does not appreciably affect correlation times. This is in contrast to dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine where both order and correlation times are affected by the presence of cholesterol. The activation energies follow the same order as the transition temperatures: dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine greater than dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine greater than egg yokd phosphatidylcholine, suggesting a similar order of the cooperativity of the motion of the lipid molecules. Magnetic field-induced effects on egg phosphatidylcholine multibilayers were found at Q-band measurements above 40 degrees C. The cholestane spin label mimics order and motion of cholesterol molecule incorporated into the lipid bilayers. This reflects order and motion of the portions of the lipid molecules on the same depth of the bilayer as the rigid steroid portions of the intercalated molecules.

Theoretical analysis of the molecular motion of spin labels in membranes. ESR spectra of labeled Bacillus subtilis membranes.

Abstract Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectral line shapes are calculated for a nitroxide radical undergoing rapid motion within a cone. The analysis is correct to second order, and explicit expression are derived for the hyperfine splittings and g -values by averaging both the secular and pseudosecular terms within the Hamiltonian. The simulated spectra are found to closely resemble those observed experimentally over a wide range of temperatures for stearic acid spin labels in cytoplasmic membranes of Bacillus subtilis . The present approach offers a simple, yet realistic way of interpreting spectra of nitroxide spin labels such as fatty acids and steroids when the motion is anisotropic.

Interaction of charged amphiphilic drugs with phosphatidylcholine vesicles studied by NMR

Small unilamellar vesicles from egg phosphatidylcholine in NaCl solutions were exposed to some amphiphilic pharmaca. The aromatic drugs (chlorpromazine, dibucaine, tetracaine, imipramine and propranolol) were in their cationic form of the amines. By 1H- (100 and 400 MHz) and 31P- (40.5 and 161.7 MHz) NMR the membrane signals were observed. In particular, the N-methyl choline proton signals were followed upon drug addition. The intrinsic chemical shift difference (0.02 ppm) between the inner (upfield) and outer choline signals was influenced by the drug concentration. Packing properties of the lipid head groups and ring current shift probably contributed. At very high drug concentration, the vesicles are destroyed. A transformation into a micellar state with a high sample viscosity took place in a narrow concentration range of drug. The anion effects of Cl- were studied from the 35Cl-NMR linewidth at 9.8 and 39.1 MHz. A continuous increase in the signal linewidth followed upon drug addition to the vesicles. Only chlorpromazine produced a broadening in the absence of vesicles (NaCl blank). The linewidth reflected a critical micelle concentration of this drug around 7 mM in 0.1 M NaCl. The 35Cl-NMR experiments demonstrated the existence of an anionic counterion effect. This phenomenon should be accounted for when quantitatively analysing drug-membrane interactions in electrostatic terms.

On the powder ESR and ENDOR spectra of flavoprotein radicals.

Abstract The flavoprotein radicals exhibit so-called powder ESR spectra, which are mainly characterized by the anisotropic hyperfine tensors of the two strongly coupled nitrogens. Spectra simulations have been attempted. The powder electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectra mainly consist of the signals due to the CH2(8) group and the matrix protons. The degree of protonation of the radicals is inferable from the hyperfine coupling to this methyl group. The principal values for the hyperfine interaction with CH3(8) could be studied by taking advantage of the anisotropy of the powder ESR spectrum. The results suggest a planar configuration of the neutral and anionic radicals within flavoproteins.

Interaction of some charged amphiphilic drugs with phosphatidylcholine vesicles: A spin label study of surface potential effects

Adsorptions of amphiphilic drugs (propranolol, alprenolol, metoprolol and tetracaine) to phosphalidylcholine vesicles in media of different pH and NaCl concentrations have been studied. A positively charged spin label amphiphile, N,N-di-methyl-N-nonyl-N-tempoylammoniumbromide, was used to follow the variation in the surface potential by ESR. Competition experiments between the probe molecule and the drugs were carried out. A spin-labeled analogue of propranolol was also employed. We have analysed the results in terms of the theory for the diffuse double layer (Gouy-Chapman) and treated various equilibrium models. A weak, specific adsorption of chloride ions was introduced. For the charged forms of the drugs simulations of the experiments by numerical solution of the system of equations in a satisfactory way furnished intrinsic binding constants, independent of surface potential effects. The common electrostatic surface potential is mainly ruling the competition, and not the number of surface vacancies.

A Modulation Scheme for Powder ENDOR

The combination of amplitude modulation of the nuclear rf power at a frequency f1 and 180° modulation of the phase of the resonance microwave signal with respect to the reference microwave signal at a frequency f2, where f1≫f2, with successive amplification and phase sensitive detection at the two frequencies, has proved useful in electron‐nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) of unordered solids. The alternative of amplitude modulation alone often results in poor baseline stability, and the alternative of amplitude modulation plus magnetic field modulation results in the complication of summing in an uncontrolled manner ENDOR contributions from crystallites resonating at different fields and with different orientations with respect to the applied dc magnetic field.