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Effective innate host defense requires early recognition of pathogens. Surfactant protein D (SP-D), shown to play a role in host defense, binds to the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) component of Gram-negative bacterial membranes. Binding takes place via the carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD) of SP-D. Recombinant trimeric neck+CRDs (NCRD) have proven valuable in biophysical studies of specific interactions. Although X-ray crystallography has provided atomic level information on NCRD binding to carbohydrates and other ligands, molecular level information about interactions between SP-D and biological ligands under physiologically relevant conditions is lacking. Infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS) provides molecular structure information from films at the air/water interface where protein adsorption to LPS monolayers serves as a model for protein-lipid interaction. In the current studies, we examine the adsorption of NCRDs to Rd 1 LPS monolayers using surface pressure measurements and IRRAS. Measurements of surface pressure, Amide I band intensities, and LPS acyl chain conformational ordering, along with the introduction of EDTA, permit discrimination of Ca (2+)-mediated binding from nonspecific protein adsorption. The findings support the concept of specific binding between the CRD and heptoses in the core region of LPS. In addition, a novel simulation method that accurately predicts the IR Amide I contour from X-ray coordinates of NCRD SP-D is applied and coupled to quantitative IRRAS equations providing information on protein orientation. Marked differences in orientation are found when the NCRD binds to LPS compared to nonspecific adsorption. The geometry suggests that all three CRDs are simultaneously bound to LPS under conditions that support the Ca (2+)-mediated interaction.

X-ray crystallography of collagen model peptides has provided high-resolution structures of the basic triple-helical conformation and its water-mediated hydration network. Vibrational spectroscopy provides a useful bridge for transferring the structural information from X-ray diffraction to collagen in its native environment. The vibrational mode most useful for this purpose is the amide I mode (mostly peptide bond C=O stretch) near 1650 cm-1. The current study refines and extends the range of utility of a novel simulation method that accurately predicts the infrared (IR) amide I spectral contour from the three-dimensional structure of a protein or peptide. The approach is demonstrated through accurate simulation of the experimental amide I contour in solution for both a standard triple helix, (Pro-Pro-Gly)10, and a second peptide with a Gly --> Ala substitution in the middle of the chain that models the effect of a mutation in the native collagen sequence. Monitoring the major amide I peak as a function of temperature gives sharp thermal transitions for both peptides, similar to those obtained by circular dichroism spectroscopy, and the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of the unfolded states were compared with polyproline II. The simulation studies were extended to model early stages of thermal denaturation of (Pro-Pro-Gly)10. Dihedral angle changes suggested by molecular dynamics simulations were made in a stepwise fashion to generate peptide unwinding from each end, which emulates the effect of increasing temperature. Simulated bands from these new structures were then compared to the experimental bands obtained as temperature was increased. The similarity between the simulated and experimental IR spectra lends credence to the simulation method and paves the way for a variety of applications.

Infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS) intensities of the Amide I vibration are used to develop a quantitative approach for determining the Euler angles that describe the orientation of protein beta-sheets in aqueous monolayer films. A synthetic amphipathic peptide, Val-Glu-Val-Orn-Val-Glu-Val-Orn-Val-Glu-Val-Orn-Val-OH is used as a test case. The pattern of Amide I frequencies suggests that the molecule is organized as an antiparallel beta-sheet at the air/water interface. The model used to simulate the Amide I intensities reveals that the beta-sheet has a slight preferential alignment parallel to the direction of compression; i.e., deviation from uniaxial symmetry is observed. In addition, the sheet is found to lie flat on the aqueous surface, with (presumably) the polar side chains interacting with the aqueous subphase. Limitations and advantages of the theoretical approach are discussed.

Pulmonary surfactant, a lipid/protein complex that lines the air/water interface in the mammalian lung, functions to reduce the work of breathing. Surfactant protein B (SP-B) is a small, hydrophobic protein that is an essential component of this mixture. Structure-function relationships of SP-B are currently under investigation as the protein and its peptide analogs are being incorporated into surfactant replacement therapies. Knowledge of the structure of SP-B and its related peptides in bulk and monolayer phases will facilitate the design of later generation therapeutic agents. Prior infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopic studies reported notable, reversible surface pressure-induced antiparallel beta-sheet formation in a synthetic peptide derived from human SP-B, residues 9-36 (SP-B(9-36)). In the current work, infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy is applied in conjunction with isotopic labeling to detect the site and pressure dependence of the conformational change. SP-B(9-36), synthesized with (13)C=O-labeled Ala residues in positions 26, 28, 30, and 32, shifted the beta-sheet marker band to approximately 1600 cm(-1) and thus immediately identified this structural element within the labeled region. Surface pressure-induced alterations in the relative intensities of Amide I band constituents are interpreted using a semiempirical transition dipole coupling model. In addition, electron micrographs reveal the formation of tubular myelin structures from in vitro preparations using SP-B(9-36) in place of porcine SP-B indicating that the peptide has the potential to mimic this property of the native protein.

IR reflection−absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS) is used to determine the orientation of carbonyl groups in behenic acid methyl ester (BME) and in sn2-13C 1,2 distearoylphosphatidylcholine (sn2-13C-DSPC) in aqueous monolayer films. The CO stretching contour of BME consists of three overlapped peaks arising from unhydrated, monohydrated, and doubly hydrated forms at 1737, 1721, and 1702 cm-1, respectively. Dichroic ratios constructed from the p- and s-polarized IRRAS intensities of the resolved components of the contour were simulated with the optical theory of V. L. Kuzmin.1,2 On the basis of valence bond and molecular modeling considerations, the carbonyl group is essentially perpendicular to the chain axes. The transition moment is determined by IRRAS to indeed lie along the CO bond for the unhydrated groups (thus providing good support for the theory) but changes direction for hydrated groups. A satisfactory fit between simulation and experiment could not be obtained by assuming a uniaxial distribution of...

The performance of a new accessory for measuring IR reflection-absorption (IRRAS) spectra at various angles of incidence from monolayer films of lipids is demonstrated. The device is comprised of an external variable angle reflectance accessory and a self-contained computer-controlled unit for varying the angle of incidence, both units being coupled to a custom-designed Langmuir trough. This combination provides for excellent experimental precision and reduction of interference from H2O vapor in the 1500–1800 cm−1 spectral region. A set of ∼20 s- and p-polarized IRRAS spectra over a range of angles of incidence from 25° to 70° may be acquired from a single monolayer film in ∼3 h. The performance of the device is demonstrated for two lipids as follows. First, the instrument precision is demonstrated through determination of the orientation of each of the chains in a fatty acid homogeneous ceramide 2 derivative. Interestingly, the orientation (tilt angles from the bilayer normal) of the individual chains differ, as determined from an isotopically-labeled derivative where the fatty acid chain is perdeuterated. The fatty acid chain is tilted at 24° from the normal to the bilayer, while the base chain is tilted at 18°. As a control, the average tilt angle for both ceramide 2 acyl chains has been determined from a fully proteated derivative to be 20°. The precision of the derived tilt angle varies from ∼1–3°. Second, the reduction of interference from water vapor in the 1500–1800 cm−1 is demonstrated for sn-2–13C=O-1,2 distearoylphosphatidylcholine, where spectra from the individual C=O bonds in the molecule are readily detected with good signal/noise and signal/water vapor ratios. The device provides a major advance in the determination of chain orientation by IRRAS and will facilitate the determination of functional group orientation.

A series of isotopically substituted derivatives of the hydrophobic peptide K2(LA)6 including K2LA*(LA)5, K2L*A*(LA)5, and K2 LA*LA*(LA)4 (where the asterisk represents a residue with 13C substitution in the peptide bond CO) has been synthesized. The peptides adopt antiparallel β-sheet conformations as revealed by solution CD and IR measurements. The amide I region of the IR spectrum is substantially altered by the isotopic labeling. Peaks of anomalously large intensity are observed on the low frequency (∼1610 cm-1) side of the major conformation marker at 1625−1630 cm-1 present in the unlabeled isotopomer. The spectral changes cannot be described by the appearance of a pure mode based on the substitution of an oscillator of increased mass within the sequence. A semiempirical model incorporating transition dipole coupling and through-bond interactions within the context of the Wilson GF matrix method produces excellent agreement between calculated and observed amide I spectra with a single set of four par...

Two-dimensional infrared (2D IR) spectroscopy has been shown to be a powerful tool for the analysis of spectra with highly overlapped bands, as often found in IR spectra of biological samples. To date, most 2D IR analyses have focused primarily on intensity changes of the bands under investigation. However, information concerning 2D IR characteristics of bands that change in position or width is sparse. We have thus simulated the effects of frequency and bandwidth changes on 2D IR spectra. In the synchronous plot of a band undergoing a frequency shift, two autopeaks and two crosspeaks are found at the initial and final positions, while the asynchronous plot exhibits two weaker crosspeaks for these positions and a stronger, somewhat elongated feature close to the diagonal. The latter feature is characteristic of a shifting band. Thus, to distinguish a frequency shift in a single band from intensity changes of two overlapped bands it is important to examine the asynchronous plot, since the synchronous plots exhibit comparable characteristics in both cases. A bandwidth change results in a series of crosspeaks. However, when bandwidth changes are coupled with either frequency shifts and/or intensity changes, the effect of the bandwidth change is reduced. Finally, it is shown that the resolution enhancement generally found for the asynchronous plot is accompanied by an error in the positions of the original spectral features as determined from 2D IR peaks. The magnitude of the error increases as the original spectral features approach each other in frequency. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Partially deuterated fatty acid and phospholipid Langmuir films were examined by infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy, thereby permitting a conformational analysis of different regions of the film-forming molecules from the frequencies of the CH 2 and CD 2 stretching vibrations. For hexadecanoic acid-d 17 , half-deuterated at the tail end, the observed CH 2 -stretching frequencies of ≈2 915 and 2 849 cm −1 were considerably lowered from those of completely protiated hexadecanoic acid, indicating that the conformational order adjacent to the headgroup is much higher than at the tail end. With the half-deuterated fatty acid as the acyl chain component in DPPC-d 34 , it was possible to probe different parts of the hydrocarbon moiety of phospholipid monolayers at the air-water interface. Results similar to those for the fatty acids were noted, with greater conformational disorder occurring toward the bilayer center.

A Fourier transform infrared spectrometer has been interfaced with a surface balance and a new external reflection infrared sampling accessory, which permits the acquisition of spectra from protein monolayers in situ at the air/water interface. The accessory, a sample shuttle that permits the collection of spectra in alternating fashion from sample and background troughs, reduces interference from water vapor rotation-vibration bands in the amide I and amide II regions of protein spectra (1520–1690 cm-1) by nearly an order of magnitude. Residual interference from water vapor absorbance ranges from 50 to 200 microabsorbance units. The performance of the device is demonstrated through spectra of synthetic peptides designed to adopt alpha-helical, antiparallel beta-sheet, mixed beta-sheet/beta-turn, and unordered conformations at the air/water interface. The extent of exchange on the surface can be monitored from the relative intensities of the amide II and amide I modes. Hydrogen-deuterium exchange may lower the amide I frequency by as much as 11–12 cm-1 for helical secondary structures. This shifts the vibrational mode into a region normally associated with unordered structures and leads to uncertainties in the application of algorithms commonly used for determination of secondary structure from amide I contours of proteins in D2O solution.

The current theory of pulmonary surfactant function requires that very low surface tension be achieved and maintained in the alveolar surface film during compression (expiration). To effect this condition, it has been hypothesized that the unsaturated and/or fluid components of surfactant are selectively excluded or "squeezed out" from mixed monolayers containing both saturated and unsaturated phospholipids, leaving a surface film of essentially pure 1,2-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC). External reflection Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy has been employed to quantitatively test this hypothesis. Mixed monolayer films of acyl chain-perdeuterated 1,2-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC-d62) with 1,2-dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol (DOPG), 1-palmitoyl, 2-oleoylPG (POPG), 1,2-dipalmitoylPG (DPPG) were examined in situ at the air/water interface as a function of surface pressure. The relative intensities of CD2 (CH2) stretching vibrations of the deuterated (proteated) components permitted quantitative determination of the relative concentrations of each in the film. For 7:1 (mol:mol) mixtures of DPPC-d62/DOPG, progressive, selective squeeze out of up to about 90% of the PG component is observed over a range of surface pressures from about 51 to 68 mN/m. The extent of maximal PG squeeze out was reduced to 61% for a 7:1 (mol:mol) mixture of DPPC-d62/POPG. This phenomenon, which is at least partially reversible, appears to require relatively high rates of film compression. Squeeze out was reduced (< 20%) for 7:1 (mol:mol) mixtures of DPPC-d62/DPPG or for 7:3 mixtures of DPPC-d62/POPG. Squeeze out requires that the lipid mixture achieve surface pressures greater than about 50-60 mN/m along with unsaturation (or at least conformational disorder) in the acyl chains of the non-DPPC component.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

External reflection Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) experiments are reported for insoluble monomolecular films of an equimolar mixture of 1,2-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and 1,2-dipalmitoylphosphatidylserine (DPPS) at the A/W interface as a function of surface pressure and Ca2+ ion presence. The separate components showed a surface pressure-induced conformational ordering of the acyl chains. The conformational ordering occurred more cooperatively for the DPPS. Acyl chain perdeuteration of the DPPC permitted the observation of the response of the individual components in the binary mixture to changes in surface tension and to the presence of Ca2+. Plots of surface pressure versus CH2 or CD2 stretching frequencies were analyzed with a two-state model. At each surface pressure within the two-state region, the fraction of disordered form was the same for each lipid component, suggesting that they are well mixed on the surface. Calcium ion (5 mM in the subphase) produces almost no effect on the pressure-induced acyl chain ordering of the DPPC in a single component film, whereas the same levels of Ca2+ induce acyl chain ordering at all surface pressures in both components of the binary mixture. Thus, unlike the bulk phase mixture of DPPC/DPPS, the binary lipids in this mixed monolayer film appear to retain their miscibility in the presence of Ca2+. Finally, Ca(2+)-induced dehydration of the phosphate group was observed through characteristic frequency shifts in the asymmetric PO2- stretching mode.

An FT-IR spectrophotometer has been interfaced to a miniaturized surface film apparatus for external reflection studies of insoluble monolayers in situ at the air/water interface. Signal-to-noise ratios of 200:1 were routinely achieved for the CH2 stretching vibrations of phospholipids. We have monitored, using the acyl chain symmetric CH2 stretching frequency near 2850 cm−1 as a structural probe, lipid conformational order changes that occur during the surface pressure-induced two-dimensional phase transition in monolayers of 1,2-dipalmitoylphosphatidylserine. In addition, the small volume of the miniaturized film apparatus (30 mL) permitted replacement of H2O with D2O in the subphase. This capability, in turn, permits the acquisition of spectral data in the amide I region of proteins. We report the first external reflection FT-IR spectrum of an insoluble protein monolayer. The protein studied is pulmonary surfactant SP-C.

The structure and dynamics of synthetic melittin (MLT) and MLT analogues bound to monomyristoylphosphatidylcholine micelles, dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles, and diacylphosphatidylcholine films have been investigated by fluorescence, CD, attenuated total reflectance (ATR) FTIR, and 13C NMR spectroscopy. All of these methods provide information about peptide secondary structure and/or about the environment of the single tryptophan side chain in these lipid environments. ATR-FTIR data provide additional information about the orientation of helical peptide segments with respect to the bilayer plane. Steady-state fluorescence anisotropy, fluorescence lifetime, and 13C NMR relaxation data are used in concert to provide quantitative information about the dynamics of a single 13C-labeled tryptophan side chain at position 19 in lipid-bound MLT, and at positions 17, 11, and 9, respectively, in lipid-bound MLT analogues. Peptide chain dynamics are probed by NMR relaxation studies of 13C alpha-labeled glycine incorporated into each of the MLT peptides at position 12. The cumulative structural and dynamic data are consistent with a model wherein the N-terminal alpha-helical segment of these peptides is oriented perpendicular to the bilayer plane. Correlation times for the lysolipid-peptide complexes provide evidence for binding of a single peptide monomer per micelle. A model for the membranolytic action of MLT and MLT-like peptides is proposed.

Partially deuterated fatty acid and phospholipid Langmuir films were examined by infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy, thereby permitting a conformational analysis of different regions of the film-forming molecules from the frequencies of the CH2 and CD2 stretching vibrations. For hexadecanoic acid-d 17 , half-deuterated at the tail end, the observed CH 2 -stretching frequencies of ∼ 2 915 and 2 849 cm −1 were considerably lowered from thoseof completely protiated hexadecanoic acid, indicating that the conformational order adjacent to the headgroup is much higher than at the tail end. With the half-deuterated fatty acid as the acyl chain component in DPPC-d34, it was possible to probe different partsof the hydrocarbon moiety of phospholipid monolayers at the air-water interface. Results similar to thosefor the fatty acids were noted, with greater conformational disorder occurring toward the bilayer center.

The Amide I contours of six globular proteins of varied secondary structure content along with a peptide model for collagen and pulmonary surfactant protein C have been simulated very closely by using a modified GF matrix method. The starting point for the method uses the three-dimensional structure as obtained from the Protein Data Bank. Elements of the interactions between peptide groups (e.g., transition dipole coupling) are very sensitive to tertiary structure, thus the current formalism demonstrates that the Amide I contour may be useful for a more detailed probe of 3-D conformation that goes beyond the traditional use of this band to probe the percentages of particular elements of secondary structure. For example, postulated changes to a known structure can be tested by comparing the new simulated band to the experimental band. A number of refinements to the transition dipole interaction calculation have been made. Most of the important interactions between the C=O oscillators that define the Amide I mode appear to have been identified, including through space transition dipole coupling, through valence bond and through hydrogen bond coupling. The eigenvector matrix produced by the method permits the contribution of each peptide group to the spectrum to be precisely determined. Analysis of the results shows that the often-used structure-frequency correlations are at best approximate and at worst misleading. The subbands from helices, sheets, turns, and loops are much broader and more overlapped than has been commonly assumed. Furthermore, the traditional alpha-helical marker band may be substantially distorted in short segments. Difference spectra based on isotope editing, a technique thought capable of revealing the spectral contributions of individual peptide groups, are shown to be prone to misinterpretation.

The pulmonary surfactant proteins SP-A and SP-D have been proven to play a role in host defense. SP-A binds phosphatidylcholine, galactosylceramide, and the lipid A portion of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which is found in Gram-negative bacterial cell walls. SP-D binds phosphatidylinositol, glucosylceramide and LPS. Although X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy have provided atomic level information about SP-A and SP-D structures, molecular level information about their binding to biological ligands is lacking. IR reflection-absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS) is used in the current work to study the properties of SP-A and SP-D at air/water interfaces and their interaction with biological ligands. The monolayer properties of recombinant rat neck + carbohydrate recognition domain (NCRD) SP-A and its point mutant D215A SP-A are compared. Both NCRD SP-A and D215A SP-A adsorb to the air/water interface, DPPC monolayers, and Lipid A monolayers, but D215A/PL SP-A displays higher affinity and greater stability. Measurements of surface pressure, Amide 1 intensity, and lipid acyl chain conformational ordering can help to elucidate the mechanism of interaction of SP-A and its ligands. Similar experiments have been carried out with SP-D.

A method originally proposed by Snyder and Poore [(1973) Macromolecules 6, 708-715] as a specific probe of trans-gauche isomerization in hydrocarbon chains and recently applied [Mendelsohn et al. (1989) Biochemistry 28, 8934-8939] to the quantitative determination of phospholipid acyl chain conformational order is utilized to monitor the effects of cholesterol at various depths in dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) bilayers. The method is based on the observation that the CD2 rocking modes from the acyl chains of specifically deuterated phospholipids occur at frequencies in the Fourier transform infrared spectrum which depend upon the local geometry (trans or gauche) of the C-C-C skeleton surrounding a central CD2 group. Three specifically deuterated derivatives of DPPC, namely, 4,4,4',4'-d4 DPPC (4-d4 DPPC), 6,6,6',6'-d4 DPPC (6-d4 DPPC), and 12,12,12',12'-d4 DPPC (12-d4 DPPC), have been synthesized, and the effects of cholesterol addition at 2:1 DPPC/cholesterol (mol:mol) on acyl chain order at various temperatures have been determined. At 48 degrees C, cholesterol inhibits gauche rotamer formation by factors of approximately 9 and approximately 6 at positions 6 and 4, respectively, of the acyl chains, thus demonstrating a strong ordering effect in regions of the bilayer where the sterol rings are presumed to insert parallel to the DPPC acyl chains. In contrast, the ability of the sterol to order the acyl chains is much reduced at the 12-position. The sterol demonstrates only a slight disordering of phospholipid gel phases. Finally, the contributions of different classes of gauche conformers to the spectra have been determined.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A quantitative infrared characterization of phospholipid acyl chain disordering in 6,6,6′,6′-d4 dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine/ Gramicidin D bilayers has been made. Three CD2 rocking modes, at 622 cm-1, 646–649 cm-1, and 651–653 cm-1, assigned to particular conformers, were used to determine disorder in the presence of peptide, as well as percentages of particular classes of conformer within the total gauche population. At 44C, the gauche percentages in 10:1 and 30:1 lipid/peptide mixtures were 15% and 17%, respectively. At 34C, the corresponding values were 9.8% and 2.6%. The percentage of (single gauche bend + kink) conformers, relative to multiple gauche forms, decreases dramatically from 78% in the 30:1 mixture to 15% in the 10:1 mixture at 44C. These data provide the first quantitative measure of the extent to which a membrane-spanning peptide disorders phospholipid gel phases and orders liquid crystal phases.

Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) have been used to elucidate the phase behavior of two binary lipid mixtures, acyl chain perdeuterated 1,2-dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE-d62)/1,2-dielaidoylphosphatidylcholine (DEPC) and acyl chain perdeuterated 1,2-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC-d62)/1,2-dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE). The former shows gel state immiscibility over most of the composition range. The FT-IR data indicate that one of the solid phases is essentially pure DEPC, while the other solid phase contains both lipids. The DPPC-d62/DMPE pair are miscible over the entire composition range. The use of deuterated lipids as one component in the mixture permits the melting characteristics of each component to be separately determined in the FT-IR experiment. The FT-IR data are used to assign the endotherms observed in the DSC to particular molecular components. For the DPPE-d62/DEPC system, two endotherms are observed at compositions between 10 and 67 mol% DPPE-d62. The lower transition is assigned to the DEPC component, while the higher event contains contributions to the enthalpy from both lipids in the mixture. The midpoint of the DEPC melting occurs substantially below that for DPPE-d62. For the miscible pair, each of the lipids melt over approximately the same temperature range. The complementary and consistent nature of the information available from FT-IR and from DSC is demonstrated from the current work.

Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR/FT-IR) spectroscopy is a powerful and widely used technique for obtaining molecular structural information from thin films of material. The ability of the method to provide orientational information from partially ordered samples such as lipid multibilayers (possibly with incorporated peptides) has resulted in several recent applications of the method to biophysical problems. In most ATR studies, the material under investigation is deposited as a dry film on an appropriate crystal, Ge or ZnSe being widely used for this purpose. Obviously, the biological relevance of dry films is questionable, as water often forms an integral part of the in vivo macromolecular assembly. It is evidently desirable to study biological samples under conditions of full hydration, where the effects of variation in pH and ionic strength and composition can be explored. Commercial ATR cells with water jackets are available, but these are expensive and fragile and have fairly large jacket volumes.

A method is proposed and demonstrated for the direct determination of conformational disorder (trans-gauche isomerization) as a function of acyl-chain position in phospholipid bilayer membranes. Three specifically deuterated derivatives of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), namely 4,4,4',4'-d4-DPPC (4-d4-DPPC), 6,6,6',6'-d4-DPPC (6-d4-DPPC), and 10,10,10',10'-d4-DPPC (10-d4-DPPC), have been synthesized. The CD2 rocking modes in the Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrum have been monitored as a function of temperature for each derivative. A method originally applied by Snyder and Poore [(1973) Macromolecules 6, 708-715] as a specific probe of hydrocarbon chain conformation in alkanes has been used to analyze the data. The rocking modes appear at 622 cm-1 for a CD2 segment surrounded by a trans C-C-C skeleton and between 645 and 655 cm-1 for segments surrounded by particular gauche conformers. The integrated band intensities of these modes have been used to monitor trans-gauche isomerization in the acyl chains at particular depths in the bilayer. At 48 degrees C, above the gel-liquid-crystal phase transition, the percentage of gauche rotamers present is 20.7 +/- 4.2, 32.3 +/- 2.3, and 19.7 +/- 0.8 for 4-d4-DPPC, 6-d4-DPPC, and 10-d4-DPPC, respectively. The gel phase of the latter two molecules is highly ordered. In contrast, a substantial population of gauche rotamers was observed for the 4-d4-DPPC. The conformational analysis yields a range of 3.6-4.2 gauche rotamers/acyl chain of DPPC above the phase transition. This range is in excellent accord with the dilatometric data of Nagle and Wilkinson [(1978) Biophys. J. 23, 159-175]. The significant advantages of the FT-IR approach are discussed.

Although the determination of conformational disorder in biological membranes is an important goal of current membrane biophysics, a quantitative formulation has remained elusive. The current study describes a successful determination of trans-gauche isomerization at specific depths in phospholipid bilayers. The approach was suggested by Snyder and Poore (1) and utilizes the CD2 rocking modes of specifically deuterated hydrocarbons as conformational probes. This CD2 probe frequency is dependent on the conformation of the C-C-C skeleton of which the central carbon atom contains the CD2 moiety. The various conformations give rise to discrete (but weak) bands in the IR, as summarized below

Glycophorin has been isolated in pure form from human erythrocyte membranes and reconstituted into lipid vesicles composed of binary mixtures of bovine brain phosphatidylserine (PS) and acyl-chain perdeuterated dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine ( DPPC -d 62 ). The effect of protein on lipid melting behavior and order has been monitored with differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The phase diagram for PS/DPPC -d 62 is consistent with that previously reported for PS/DPPC (Stewart et al. (1979) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 556, 1–16) and indicates that acyl chain perdeuteration does not greatly alter the lipid mixing characteristics. The use of deuterated lipid allows the examination of lipid order by FT-IR of each lipid component in the binary mixtures as well as in the ternary (lipid/lipid/protein) systems. Addition of glycophorin to a 30:70 PS/DPPC -d 62 binary lipid mixture results in a preferential glycophorin /PS interaction leading to bulk lipid enriched in DPPC -d 62 . This is revealed in two ways: first, through cooperative calorimetric transitions increased in temperature from the binary lipid system and second, through FT-IR melting curves of the DPPC -d 62 component which shows transitions increased in both onset and completion temperatures in the presence of protein. In addition, non-cooperative melting events are observed at temperatures below the onset of phase separation. The FT-IR data are used to assign these non-cooperative events to the melting of the PS component. For the 50:50 lipid mixture with protein, two transitions are observed in the DSC experiments. The IR results indicate that both lipid components are involved with the lower temperature event.

The effect of finite lengths of square exciting pulses in vibrational relaxation experiments in gases is investigated theoretically. Taking into account the finite duration of the pulse length does not yield results drastically different from those obtained assuming instantaneous excitation, provided that the exciting pulse has a width not more than about half the mean time between 1‐to‐0 transitions.