Interaction between carbendazim pesticide and biological membrane mimetic systems based on Langmuir films and GUVs: the role played by the hydrophobic chain insaturation

• Grant number: 15/10751-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2015
• End date: January 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal Investigator: Carlos José Leopoldo Constantino
• Grantee: Luis Fernando do Carmo Morato
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia (FCT). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Presidente Prudente. Presidente Prudente , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/14262-7 - Nanostructured films from biologically-relevant materials, AP.TEM

Abstract

In this scientific project will be investigate the molecular level interaction between the pesticide carbendazim with mimetic models of biological membranes formed by Langmuir monolayers at the air/water interface and giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) of distinct phospholipids. The carbendazim is a pesticide (fungicide) that is among the 10 most active compounds sold in Brazil, being considered medium toxic to humans (class III - Anvisa 2015). The carbendazim will be dissolved at different concentrations (mM to µM) into ultrapure water subphase where the Langmuir films will be formed and into the aqueous medium where the GUVs where formed. The Langmuir monolayers and the GUVs will be composed by saturated (DPPC) and unsaturated (POPC and DOPC) zwitterionic phospholipids. The Langmuir films will be characterized by surface pressure vs mean molecular area (À-A isotherms) at water/air interface, and the GUVs will be characterized by confocal/fluorescence microscopy. The challenge will be to monitor, at molecular level, the modifications imposed by carbendazim onto the biomembrane models, determining the effect of phospholipid alkyl chain unsaturation in this process, as well as the action of carbendazim onto biomembrane models formed by monolayers (Langmuir films) and bilayers (GUVs) of phospholipids. This research project is within the thematic project FAPESP (2013/14262-7).