Spectroscopic studies of molecular organization of antibiotic amphotericin B in monolayers and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine lipid multibilayers

Amphotericin B (AmB) is considered the gold-standard in the treatment of serious systemic mycoses despite its numerous adverse effects. Both the mechanism of antifungal action and the toxicity of this drug are dependent on its molecular organization. The effect of AmB on the organization of lipid membranes formed with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) was studied with application of the Langmuir–Blodgett technique and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. The aim of this research was to analyze the physical interactions leading to the formation of aggregated forms of AmB molecules in one-component monolayers and lipid multibilayers. Analysis of FTIR spectra of two-component multibilayers suggests the possibility the mutual reorientation of the amino-sugar moiety (mycosamine) and macrolide ring. This effect may be significant in the explanation of the aggregation processes of AmB in biological systems.

Research highlights►These researches are significant in the explanation of the aggregation processes of amphotericin B (AmB) in biological systems. ►We used FTIR spectroscopic study to analyze the physical interactions leading to the formation of aggregated forms of AmB molecules in one-component monolayers and two-component lipid multibilayers. ►Those experiments suggest the possibility the mutual reorientation of the amino-sugar moiety (mycosamine) and macrolide ring.