This study explored the effects of bisphenol A (BPA),
a residual
contaminant derived from plastic materials, on binary mixtures of
the phospholipid 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine
(DOPC) and cholesterol (Chol). These mixtures were structured into
bilayers, forming giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs), and monolayers,
forming Langmuir films, whose compositions and phases are relevant
for mimicking the cell plasma membrane in eukaryotic cells. The composition
of the binary mixture of DOPC/Chol 8:2, representing the proportion
of the primary lipid groups found in cells, was effective in inducing
inward buddings when exposed to BPA, in addition to the multiple shape
transformations observed for DOPC vesicles. In monolayers, BPA induced
the π–A isotherm expansion of DOPC,
Chol, and the binary mixtures, also mainly in the DOPC/Chol 8:2 monolayers.
Consistently, polarization-modulated infrared reflection absorption
spectroscopy measurements revealed more pronounced interactions between
BPA and the DOPC headgroup (hydrogen bonding from the hydrogen of
the BPA phenol group and the nitrogen from the DOPC choline group,
preferentially) in the DOPC/Chol 8:2 monolayer compared to that in
individual DOPC monolayer. The presence of Chol appears to make the
DOPC headgroups more accessible for interaction, even in bilayers.
These results emphasize the substantial impact of BPA on the DOPC/Chol
binary mixture, highlighting its critical role in predicting the potential
damage to human cell membranes.