Steady-state fluorescence polarization in planar lipid membranes. Experimental and theoretical analysis of the fluorophores 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonate, 1,6-Diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene, dansyllysine-valinomycin and n-(9-anthroyloxy) fatty acids.

In continuation of earlier work, the steady-state fluorescence polarization in a globally oriented system of planar lipid membranes was analyzed experimentally and theoretically for the fluorophores 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonate, 1,6-diphenyl-1,3, 5-hexatriene, dansyllysine-valinomycin and n-(9-anthroyloxy) fatty acids. The theoretical analyses of experiments were mainly done in terms of the mean orientation of transition moments with respect to the membrane normal, an angle describing the region of hindered rotational diffusion and the coefficients of rotational diffusion perpendicular to the membrane and around the membrane normal. The nonvanishing angle between the moments of absorption and emission was taken into account. In the case of n-(9-anthroyloxy) fatty acids it was found that the orientational disorder increases significantly with the depth of the fluorophore within the membrane. In order to compare with recent results from time-dependent fluorescent polarization in globally isotropic membrane suspensions and with 2H-NMR experiments, the second moment ('order parameter') of the steady-state orientational distribution of absorption dipoles was calculated. For all fluorophores the theoretical analysis indicates a preferred orientation of absorption moments within the membrane plane.