Behavior of 2,6-Bis(decyloxy)naphthalene Inside Lipid Bilayer

Abstract

In this work, influence of binding of long carbohydrate chains to the behavior of small organic molecules inside lipid bilayers was studied. Naphtalene with two decloxy groups (2,6-bis(decyloxy)naphtalene) was incorporated into vesicles prepared on the basis of phosphatidylcholine.

Both simulation of molecular dynamics and fluorescence methods indicated that naphtalene circle is associated with the upper acyl chain of the lipid bilayer with carbohydrate chains oriented towards the center of the lipid bilayer. Cryo-electron microscopy showed that due to this orientation liposomes remain stable even after incorporation of a large amount of 2,6-bis(decyloxy)naphtalene into the bilayer.

Keywords

• molecular-dynamics simulations
• liposomal membranes
• phosphatidylcholine bilayer
• fluorescence polarization
• pyrene
• depth
• phase
• dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine
• tetraarylporphyrin