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How melatonin interacts with lipid bilayers: a study by fluorescence and ESR spectroscopies
Author(s) -
Costa Ernane J.X,
Shida Claudio S,
Biaggi Márcia H,
Ito Amando S,
Lamy-Freund M.Teresa
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/s0014-5793(97)01178-2
Subject(s) - melatonin , lipid bilayer , bilayer , vesicle , chemistry , membrane , biophysics , fluorescence anisotropy , fluorescence , membrane fluidity , lipid bilayer phase behavior , biochemistry , biology , endocrinology , physics , quantum mechanics
ESR spectra of spin labels placed at the membrane surface and at different depths of the bilayer core, and melatonin fluorescence in the presence of lipid vesicles, suggest an average shallow position for the hormone in the membrane. However, according to the melatonin ability to cross lipid bilayers, nitroxides placed deep in the bilayer were able to quench the melatonin fluorescence. Melatonin membrane partition coefficients were calculated for bilayers in different packing states, and similar and rather high values were found. The data presented here may be quite important to the understanding of melatonin physiological actions at the membrane level.