Design, synthesis, and evaluation of a new fluorescent probe for measuring polymyxin–lipopolysaccharide binding interactions

Fluorescence assays employing semisynthetic or commercial dansyl-polymyxin B have been widely employed to assess the affinity of polycations, including polymyxins, for bacterial cells and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The five primary γ-amines on diaminobutyric acid residues of polymyxin B are potentially derivatized with dansyl-chloride. Mass spectrometric analysis of the commercial product revealed a complex mixture of di- or tetra-dansyl-substituted polymyxin B. We synthesized a mono-substituted fluorescent derivative, dansyl[Lys]1polymyxin B3. The affinity of polymyxin for purified gram-negative LPS and whole bacterial cells was investigated. The affinity of dansyl[Lys]1polymyxin B3 for LPS was comparable to polymyxin B and colistin, and considerably greater (Kd < 1 μM) than for whole cells (Kd ∼ 6–12 μM). Isothermal titration calorimetric studies demonstrated exothermic enthalpically driven binding between both polymyxin B and dansyl[Lys]1polymyxin B3 to LPS, attributed to electrostatic interactions. The hydrophobic dansyl moiety imparted a greater entropic contribution to the dansyl[Lys]1polymyxin B3–LPS reaction. Molecular modeling revealed a loss of electrostatic contact within the dansyl[Lys]1polymyxin B3–LPS complex due to steric hindrance from the dansyl[Lys]1 fluorophore; this corresponded with diminished antibacterial activity (MIC ⩾16 μg/mL). Dansyl[Lys]1polymyxin B3 may prove useful as a screening tool for drug development.