A fluorescence approach of the gamma radiation effects on gramicidin A inserted in liposomes

The fluorescence of tryptophan residues of gramicidin A (gA), bound to phosphatidylcholine liposomes contains valuable information about local changes in the environment of the molecule induced by gamma radiation. With this work, we aim to demonstrate that the gamma radiation effect on the peptide involves the action of free radicals, derived from water radiolysis and the process of lipid peroxidation. Basically, the methodology consists of the analysis of UV and fluorescence emission spectra of the peptide liposome complexes under control conditions and upon gamma irradiation. Free radical production was impaired by the removal of molecular oxygen or the presence of ethanol in the liposome suspension. The intensity of the tryptophan fluorescence was recorded as a function of the gamma radiation dose in the range of 0–250 Gy and the data were fitted with a single decay exponential function containing an additional constant term (named residual fluorescence). The correlation between the decrease in tryptophan fluorescence emission (Dc = 80 ± 10 Gy) and increase in gamma radiation dose indicates the partial damage of the tryptophan side chains of gA. O2 removal or ethanol addition partially reduced the decay of the tryptophan fluorescence emission involving an indirect action of gamma radiation via a water radiolysis mechanism. The residual fluorescence emission (A0) increases in O2‐free buffer (98 ± 13) and in 10% ethanol‐containing buffer (74 ± 34) compared to control conditions (23 ± 5). Varying the dose rate between 1–10 Gy/min at a constant dose of 50 Gy, an inverse dose‐rate effect was observed. Thus, our study provides evidence for the lipid peroxidation effect on the tryptophan fluorescence. In conclusion, this article sustains the hypothesis of the connection between the lipid peroxidation and structural changes of membrane proteins induced by gamma radiation. Copyright © 2008 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.