[Water molecule mobility in the surface layer of a membrane recorded with the fluorescent probe...

A scheme of the location of a fluorescent probe 4-dimethylaminochalcone (DCM) in a phospholipid membrane has been proposed. According to the scheme the DMC dimethylamino group is located near phosphate groups and the oxygen atom--in the carbonyl groups region of phosphatidylcholine molecules. It is shown that DMC fluorescence is dynamically quenched by water molecules in the membrane. Therefore the quantum yield and, partly the position of DMC fluorescence maximum are determined by the water concentration near the probe, by the ability of water molecules to penetrate into the membrane as far as the carbonyl groups of fatty acid residues and by the water mobility in the membrane layer.