SPECTRAL BEHAVIOR OF INDICATOR DYES IN THE MODEL PROTEIN – LIPID SYSTEMS

The protolytic and partition equilibria of the indicator dyes in the model lipid and protein-lipid systems have been analyzed. A methodological approach has been developed allowing the partition coefficients of the protonated and deprotonated dye forms to be derived from the spectrophotometric measurements. The partitioning of the indicator dye bromothymol blue into the model bilayer membranes composed of phosphatidylcholine and cardiolipin (9:1, mol:mol) has been examined. The partition coefficient of the protonated dye species into a lipid phase has been found to be 5 orders of magnitude higher than that of the deprotonated dye form. This effect has been interpreted in terms of the differences in the charge distribution over the protonated and deprotonated dye ions, preventing the hydrophobic dye-lipid interactions in the latter case. The reduction of the bromothymol blue partitioning into lipid bilayer in the presence of hemoglobin has been attributed to the protein-induced changes in the structure and physicochemical characteristics of the interfacial membrane region. In the practical aspect, the obtained findings may prove of significance in the design of hemosome-based blood substitutes and elucidating the role of hemoglobin in the molecular etiology of the amyloid disorders, particularly, Alzheimer's disease.