MODELS OF AMPHOTERICIN MEMBRANE CHANNEL BASED ON CONCERTED INTERMOLECULAR =C-H…O INTERACTIONS

To study the possibility for amphotericin to form membrane channel via intermolecular interactions mimicing the association mode of polyene macrolides in crystal structures we have built two channel models in vacuo: amphotericin B octamer and hexamer. The octamer model does not reproduce the concerted weak =C-H…O intermolecular interactions within the whole aggregate structure and has too large pore diameter. For hexamer model, the pore diameter is within experimental estimates. The hexamer model rather well reproduces characteristic features of a channel with such concerted weak interactions: association mode, H-bonding pattern within the whole assembly and accessibility of polyene hydroxyl groups for hydrophyllic interactions in the pore.