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Interaction of Inorganic Mercury Salts with Model and Red Cell Membranes: Importance of Lipid Binding Salts
Citation:
Delnomdedieu, M. AND J. Allis. Interaction of Inorganic Mercury Salts with Model and Red Cell Membranes: Importance of Lipid Binding Salts. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-94/206 (NTIS PB94163854).
Description:
The effect induced by two mercury salts, HgCl2 and Hg(NO3)2, on the thermotropic properties of PS model membranes (multilamellar vesicles) and rat red cell membranes was investigated employing 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) fluorescence polarization. ercury(II) interacts with the NH2 headgroups of PS and both salts induced disappearance of the phase transition and decreased the fluidity in the PS membranes. aturation of the effect was observed with each salt. he presence of 10 mM NaCl protected PS vesicles from the effects of HG(II) from both salts. dding HgCl2 or Hg(NO3)2 to sonicated red cell ghosts induced a significant decrease in membrane fluidity, as with PS vesicles. aturation of the effect was observed with each salt. or both membrane systems, the effects observed with Hg(NO3)2 were greater than those with HgCl2, probably due to the absence of competition with chloride ions in samples containing Hg(NO3)2. s with PS vesicles, adding NaCl to the Hg(II)-red cell system decreased the Hg(II)induced perturbation of the thermotropic properties. hese results indicate that, in addition to binding to protein thiol groups, the lipid binding site for HG(II) (-NH2 groups of PS and PE) plays an important role in the interaction of HG(II) with red cell membranes. lso, pCl governs the availability of HG(II) by determining its chemical speciation: increasing [Cl-] generates HgCl3- and HgCl42-, which do not interact with lipid binding sites.
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INTERACTION OF INORGANIC MERCURY SALTS WITH MODEL AND RED CELL MEMBRANES: IMPORTANCE OF LIPID BINDING SALTS