Control of Bilayer Transport through a Photoswitchable Membrane-Stiffening Agent.

The mobility of proteins in the bilayer membrane is affected by (local) changes in lipid environment, which is important to their biological functioning. Artificial molecular systems that-to some extent-imitate tasks of membrane-embedded proteins are increasingly developed, however, they are usually controlled through responsive units in their core structure. Here we present an alternative approach based on an amphiphilic stiff-stilbene derivative that enables control of membrane fluidity by light.

Activity Control of a Synthetic Transporter by Photodynamic Modulation of Membrane Mobility and Incorporation.

Artificial transmembrane transport systems are receiving a great deal of attention for their potential therapeutic application. A major challenge is to switch their activity in response to environmental stimuli, which has been achieved mostly by modulating the binding affinity. We demonstrate here that the activity of a synthetic anion transporter can be controlled through changes in the membrane mobility and incorporation.

Photoswitchable Bis(amidopyrroles): Modulating Anion Transport Activity Independent of Binding Affinity.

Toward photocontrol of anion transport across the bilayer membrane, stiff-stilbene, which has dimethyl substituents in the five-membered rings, is functionalized with amidopyrrole units. UV-vis and H NMR studies show high photostability and photoconversion yields. Where the photoaddressable ()- and ()-isomers exhibit comparable binding affinities, as determined by H NMR titrations, fluorescence-based transport assays reveal significantly higher transport activity for the ()-isomers.

Stimulus-Controlled Anion Binding and Transport by Synthetic Receptors.

Anionic species are omnipresent and involved in many important biological processes. A large number of artificial anion receptors has therefore been developed. Some of these are capable of mediating transmembrane transport.

Photomodulation of Transmembrane Transport and Potential by Stiff-Stilbene Based Bis(thio)ureas.

Membrane transport proteins fulfill important regulatory functions in biology with a common trait being their ability to respond to stimuli in the environment. Various small-molecule receptors, capable of mediating transmembrane transport, have been successfully developed. However, to confer stimuli-responsiveness on them poses a fundamental challenge.