Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 26, 2026

Gramicidin-based Fluorescence Assay; for Determining Small Molecules Potential for Modifying Lipid Bilayer Properties
10:52

Gramicidin-based Fluorescence Assay; for Determining Small Molecules Potential for Modifying Lipid Bilayer Properties

Published on: October 13, 2010

Organization of antibiotic amphotericin B in model lipid membranes. A mini review

Wiesław I Gruszecki1, Mariusz Gagoś, Monika Hereć

  • 1Department of Biophysics, Institute of Physics, Maria Skłodowska-Curie University, 20-031 Lublin, Poland. wieslaw@tytan.umcs.lublin.pl

Cellular & Molecular Biology Letters
|March 26, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Amphotericin B forms aggregates in lipid environments, influencing its antifungal action and side effects. Understanding its molecular organization is key to its therapeutic use.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Biophysics
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Amphotericin B (AmB) is a crucial antifungal antibiotic.
  • Its mechanism of action is linked to molecular organization within lipid environments.
  • Pore-like aggregate formation is a proposed mechanism.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate Amphotericin B aggregate formation in lipid environments.
  • To elucidate the relationship between molecular organization and AmB's function.
  • To understand AmB's pharmacological action and toxic side effects.

Main Methods:

  • Electronic absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy.
  • Liposome and monolayer formation at the argon-water interface.
  • Linear dichroism and Scanning Force Microscopy.

Main Results:

  • AmB exists as dimers and larger aggregates in membranes.
  • Molecules orient parallel and perpendicular to the bilayer.
  • Pore-like structures with specific diameters were observed.

Conclusions:

  • AmB's molecular organization in lipids is critical for its antifungal activity.
  • Understanding aggregate formation may explain therapeutic efficacy and toxicity.
  • Further research into AmB's structure-activity relationship is warranted.

More Related Videos

Automated Lipid Bilayer Membrane Formation Using a Polydimethylsiloxane Thin Film08:23

Automated Lipid Bilayer Membrane Formation Using a Polydimethylsiloxane Thin Film

Published on: July 10, 2016

Assembly of Cell Mimicking Supported and Suspended Lipid Bilayer Models for the Study of Molecular Interactions12:18

Assembly of Cell Mimicking Supported and Suspended Lipid Bilayer Models for the Study of Molecular Interactions

Published on: August 3, 2021

Related Concept Videos

Antifungal Agents01:15

Antifungal Agents

Amphotericin B is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent that exploits structural differences between fungal and mammalian cell membranes. Its amphipathic structure—featuring a hydrophobic polyene-lactone ring and a hydrophilic region containing mycosamine and carboxylic acid groups—enables selective binding to ergosterol, a sterol predominantly found in fungal plasma membranes. This selective interaction underlies the drug’s antifungal activity, although weak binding to cholesterol contributes to...
Biosynthesis of Lipids01:29

Biosynthesis of Lipids

Microbial membranes exhibit remarkable diversity in lipid composition, reflecting evolutionary adaptations to various environmental conditions. The three domains of life—Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya—synthesize membrane lipids through distinct biosynthetic pathways, leading to fundamental structural differences that impact membrane stability, function, and adaptability.Fatty Acid-Based Lipids in Bacteria and EukaryaBacteria and eukaryotes share a common fatty acid biosynthesis pathway, which...
Fluid Mosaic Model01:19

Fluid Mosaic Model

Scientists identified the plasma membrane in the 1890s and its principal chemical components (lipids and proteins) by 1915. The model for plasma membrane structure, proposed in 1935 by Hugh Davson and James Danielli, was the first model to be widely accepted in the scientific community. The model was based on the plasma membrane's "railroad track" appearance in early electron micrographs. Davson and Danielli theorized that the plasma membrane's structure resembled a sandwich with the analogy of...
Fluid Mosaic Model01:34

Fluid Mosaic Model

The fluid mosaic model was first proposed as a visual representation of research observations. The model comprises the composition and dynamics of membranes and serves as a foundation for future membrane-related studies. The model depicts the structure of the plasma membrane with a variety of components, which include phospholipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. These integral molecules are loosely bound, defining the cell’s border and providing fluidity for optimal function.LipidsThe most...
Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer01:35

Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer

Biological membranes show uneven distribution of different types of lipids in the inner and outer layers, resulting in transverse asymmetric membranes. The treatment of the erythrocyte membrane with the enzyme phospholipase confirmed the asymmetric nature of the lipid bilayer. The enzyme hydrolyzes lipids into fatty acids and hydrophilic groups. The phospholipase acts only on the outer layer of the membrane, while the inner layer remains intact. The phospholipase treatment resulted in 80%...
Assembly of the Lipid Bilayer in the ER01:28

Assembly of the Lipid Bilayer in the ER

Biological membranes are more than just a barrier separating cell cytoplasm from the outside environment. They are highly dynamic and help maintain the integrity and physiological stability of the cells as well as membrane-bound organelles. Membranes also play vital roles in cell-to-cell and intracellular communication.
A large chunk of any biological membrane is composed of phospholipids. These lipids have a heterogeneous distribution across different subcellular organelles and even between...