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Biomedical subjects

I I Severina

Publications and source records attributed to I I Severina.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Transfer of cationic antibacterial agents berberine, palmatine, and benzalkonium through bimolecular planar phospholipid film and Staphylococcus aureus membrane.

Some organic cations are known to be electrophoretically imported into bacterial cells and actively extruded from these cells by multidrug resistance (MDR) pumps. We have studied penetration of plant antimicrobial agents berberine and palmatine and synthetic antiseptic benzalkonium chloride through black planar phospholipid membrane (BLM) and membrane of Staphylococcus aureus cells. Gradients of these cations across BLM generated an electric potential difference. Penetrating anion tetraphenyl borate and phloretin (a plant substance decreasing membrane dipole potential) stimulated this effect. Under optimal conditions, the magnitude of the electric potential was close to theoretical, that is, 60 mV/10-fold cation gradient. Berberine accumulated in S. aureus cells as shown by direct measurement of berberine with a berberine-sensitive electrode. The berberine accumulation was prevented by protonophore CCCP and was stimulated by mutation in the MDR pump NorA. It is concluded that the plant alkaloids and benzalkonium are penetrating cations and substrates of an MDR pump.

Anti-Infective Agents, Local↗
PubMed1997

6-Ketocholestanol is a recoupler for mitochondria, chromatophores and cytochrome oxidase proteoliposomes.

The effect of 6-ketocholestanol (kCh) on various natural and reconstituted membrane systems has been studied. 6-ketocholestanol (5 alpha-Cholestan-3 beta-ol-6-one), a compound increasing the membrane dipole potential, completely prevents or reverses the uncoupling action of low concentrations of the most potent artificial protonophore SF6847. This effect can be shown in the rat liver and heart muscle mitochondria, in the intact lymphocytes, in the Rhodobacter sphaeroides chromatophores, and in proteoliposomes with the heart muscle or Rh. sphaeroides cytochrome oxidase. The recoupling effect of kCh disappears within a few minutes after the kCh addition and cannot be observed at all at high SF6847 concentrations. Almost complete recoupling is also shown with FCCP, CCCP, CCP and platanetin. With 2,4-dinitrophenol, fatty acids and gramicidin, kCh is ineffective. With TTFB, PCP, dicoumarol, and zearalenone, low kCh concentrations are ineffective, whereas its high concentrations recouple but partially. The kCh recoupling is more pronounced in mitochondria, lymphocytes and proteoliposomes than in chromatophores. On the other hand, mitochondria, lymphocytes and proteoliposomes are much more sensitive to SF6847 than chromatophores. A measurable lowering of the electric resistance of a planar bilayer phospholipid membrane (BLM) are shown to occur at SF6847 concentrations which are even higher than in chromatophores. In BLMs, kCh not only fails to reverse the effect of SF6847, but even enhances the conductivity increase caused by this uncoupler. It is assumed that action of low concentrations of the SF6847-like uncouplers on coupling membranes involves cytochrome oxidase and perhaps some other membrane protein(s) as well. This involvement is inhibited by the asymmetric increase in the membrane dipole potential, caused by incorporation of kCh to the outer leaflet of the membrane.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1990

Light-dependent delta mu Na-generation and utilization in the marine cyanobacterium Oscillatoria brevis.

Light-dependent Na+ and H+ transports, membrane potential (delta psi) and motility have been studied in the cells of the marine cyanobacterium Oscillatoria brevis. In the presence of a protonophorous uncoupler, carbonyl cyanide-m-chlorophenylhydrazone, the intracellular Na+ level is shown to increase in the dark and decrease in the light. The Na+/H+ antiporter, monensin, stimulates the dark CCCP-dependent [Na+]in increase and abolishes the light-dependent [Na+]in decrease. Na+ ions are necessary for the fast light-induced delta psi generation and H+ uptake by the cells. This uptake is inhibited by monensin being resistant to CCCP. Monensin sensitizes the delta psi level and the motility rate to low CCCP concentrations. The obtained data are consistent with the assumption that O. brevis possesses a primary Na+ pump which utilizes (directly or indirectly) the light energy.

Biological Transport↗
PubMed1988

Coupling membranes as energy-transmitting cables. II. Cyanobacterial trichomes.

Power transmission along trichomes of filamentous cyanobacteria Phormidium uncinatum has been studied with the use of ethylrhodamine fluorescence as a probe for the transmembrane electric potential difference (delta psi). It is found that agents preventing the light-induced delta psi formation (photosynthetic redox chain inhibitor dibromothymoquinone) or dissipating delta psi (uncoupler tetrachlorotrifluoromethylbenzimidazole) strongly decrease the fluorescence of the ethyl-rhodamine-stained trichomes. K+-H+ antiporter nigericin converting delta pH to delta psi increases the fluorescence. These relationships are in agreement with the assumption that ethylrhodamine electrophoretically accumulates inside the cyanobacterial cells. Illumination of a single cell in the P. uncinatum trichome gives rise to quenching of the fluorescence in this cell and usually in one or two neighbor cells, whereas the rest of trichome remains fluorescing. A small light spot (5% of the trichome length) causes an increase in the ethylrhodamine fluorescence not only in the illuminated but also in the nonilluminated parts of the trichome up to the laser-treated cell or its neighbor(s). It is concluded ethylrhodamine can be used to monitor the power transmission which was previously demonstrated by microelectrode studies of the cyanobacterial trichomes. In certain trichomes, several "dark" cells appear during the storage of the trichomes without energy sources. Illumination for several minutes results in dark cells becoming fluorescing. Thus some cells or cell clusters can be reversibly excluded from the lateral delta psi-transmitting system of the trichome, the rest being still electrically connected. This means that filamentous cyanobacteria possess mechanisms to transmit power along the trichome and to switch off this transmission.

Cell Communication↗
PubMed1983

[Mode of proteoliposome association with the planar bilayer phospholipid membrane].

Proteoliposomes were reconstituted from bacteriorhodopsin sheets, azolectin and cholesterol with or without nystatin. The bacteriorhodopsin-mediated electrogenesis was monitored using proteoliposome suspension and phenyldicarbaundecaborane (PCB-) probe or proteoliposomes associated with a planar bilayer membrane. In the light PCB- was shown to be absorbed by proteoliposomes. The PCB- uptake was inhibited by nystatin added to the incubation mixture containing proteoliposomes when the latter were reconstituted in the presence of nystatin. Extraproteoliposomal nystatin had no influence when nystatin was omitted from the reconstitution system. The nystatin-containing proteoliposomes were associated with a planar bilayer azolectin membrane in the presence of Ga2+. In such a system bacteriorhodopsin generates a photocurrent which charges the proteoliposome-containing (cis-side) compartment negatively and the trans-side compartment positively. The photoresponse was shown to be increased severalfold when nystatin was added to the trans-side solution. Nystatin addition was ineffective when proteoliposomes were reconstituted without nystatin. Taking into account the fact that nystatin forms ion-permeable pores in a membrane only when present on both sides of the membrane and when this membrane is a bilayer one, one can explain the above data assuming that (i) the intraproteoliposomal solution does not mix with the extraproteoliposomal one when the proteoliposomes are attached to a planar black membrane and (ii) the attached proteoliposomes are separated from the trans-side bathing solution with a bimolecular membrane. If this is the case, nystatin in the trans-side bathing solution and inside the attached proteoliposomes can form pores across the part of the planar membrane which separates the proteoliposome interior from the trans-side solution.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Bacteriorhodopsins↗
PubMed1976

Reconstitution of biological molecular generators of electric current. H+-ATPase.

1. Generation of a transmembrane electric potential difference by oligomycin-sensitive ATPase complex, incorporated into spherical or planar phospholipid membrane, has been demonstrated. To this end, penetrating anion probe and direct voltmeter measurement of electric potential across phospholipid membrane were used. It was found that ATP-induced electric response is sensitive to oligomycin and protonophorous uncouplers. 2. The effect of variations in the phospholipid component of proteoliposomes on the electric generation was studied. It was revealed that the usage of mitochondrial phospholipids and phosphatidylethanolamine allows the highest values of membrane potential to be obtained in the case of ATPase proteoliposomes. In the case of cytochrome oxidase and bacteriorhodopsin proteoliposomes, phosphatidylserine was also shown to be quite suitable. Phosphatidylcholine was absolutely ineffective in all cases. 3. In proteoliposomes, containing both ATPase and bacteriorhodopsin, ATP and light induced generation of the electric field of the same direction. 4. In ATPase + cytochrome oxidase proteoliposomes, ATP hydrolysis and ascorbate oxidation was found to support electric generation of the same direction if cytochrome c was inside vesicles. Oxidation via external cytochrome c resulted in formation of electric field of the direction, opposite to that induced by ATP hydrolysis. 5. The data obtained in experiments with proteoliposomes of different types are discussed. The conclusion is made that conversion of energy of different resources into electric form is a common feature of membraneous energy transducers, which is in agreement with the Mitchellian principle of cellular energetics.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1976

Reconstitution of biological molecular generators of electric current. Cytochrome oxidase.

1. Direct measurement of the electric current generation by cytochrome oxidase has been carried out. To this end, two procedures were used. The simpler one consists in formation of planar artificial membrane from the mixture of decane solution of soya bean phospholipids and beef heart cytochrome oxidase. Addition of cytochrome c and ascorbate to one of the two compartments separated by the cytochrome oxidase-containing planar membrane was found to result in a transmembrane electric potential difference being formed (plus on cytochrome c side of the membrane). Maximal values of potential differences obtained by this method were about 40 mV. Much higher potentials were observed when another ("photeoliposome-planar membrane") method was applied. In this case cytochrome oxidase was reconstituted with phospholipid to form proteoliposomes which adhered to planar phospholipid membrane in the presence of Ca2+ ions. Addition of cytochrome c and ascorbate to the proteoliposome-containing compartment gives rise to generation of an electric potential difference across the planar membrane, which reached 100 mV at a current of about 1 X 10(-11) A (minus in the proteoliposome-free compartment). The electromotive force of this generator was estimated as being about 0.2 V. If ascorbate and proteoliposomes were added into different compartments, a penetrating hydrogen atom carrier (phenazine methosulfate, (PMS) or tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (TMPD)) was required for a membrane potential to be formed. Generation of an electric potential difference of the opposite direction (plus in the proteoliposome-free compartment) was revealed in experiments with cytochrome oxidase proteoliposome containing cytochrome c in their interior. In this case, addition of PMS or TMPD was necessary. 2. In the suspension of cytochrome oxidase proteoliposome the uptake of a cationic penetrant (tetraphenyl phosphonium cation) was found to be coupled with electron transfer via external cytochrome c. Electron transfer via intraproteoliposomal cytochrome c induced the uptake of anionic penetrants (tetraphenyl borate and phenyldicarbaundecaborane anions). 3. All the above effects were sensitive to cyanide and protonophorous uncouplers. 4. In proteoliposomes containing both cytochrome oxidase and bacteriorhodopsin, the light- and oxidation-dependent generations of membrane potential have been revealed. 5. The data obtained are in agreement with Mitchell's idea of transmembrane electron flow in the cytochrome oxidase segment of the respiratory chain.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Respiration toxins as inhibitors of ion transport, supported by ATP hydrolysis, in mitochondria].

Effect of respiration toxins is studied on some properties of mitochondrial membranes and functions connected with ion transport for the expence of ATP energy. The combination of three respiration inhibitors (cyanide, antimycin and rotenone) was shown to develope the following effects: 1) the inhibition of K+ accumulation by mitochondria at the presence of ATP and valinomycin; 2) the decrease in acidification of non-mitochondrial space, accompanying to the K+ transport; 3) the activation of latent mitochondrial ATPase; 4) the inhibition of DNP-stimulated ATPase; 5) the inhibition of mitochondria swelling, caused by K+, Ca2+, or dimethyldibenzylammonium (DDA+) at the presence of ATP+phopshate (or acetate); 6) the stimulation of passive mitochondria swelling in 0.1 MNH4NO3; 7) the inhibition of ATP-induced contraction of mitochondria, swelling in NH4NO3. The data obtained are discussed in a wiev of the conception, which suggests that the attaching of inhibitors to respiration enzymes changes the configuration of the latters, thus disturbing natural structural bond of these enzymes with other protein components of the membrane. The latter can result in the impair of electroisolating membrane properties, in the increase of its conductivity for H+ and other ions, and in the decrease of Vm values of some enzymatic reaction, which are not directly connected with the respiration chain (such as ATPase reaction).

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗