Biological activity, hydrophobic facilitation

The parameter, ( ) represents the hydrophobic contribution to biological activities, 1/C, in which C is the molar concentration of the compound that produces a standard biological response. Hydrophobic facilitation of the biological activity is characterized by a positive ( ) value, while hydrophilic facilitation is associated with a negative ( ) value. 

Biological membranes present a barrier to the free transport of cations, as the hydrophilic, hydrated cations cannot cross the central hydrophobic region of the membrane which is formed by the hydrocarbon tails of the lipids in the bilayer. Specific mechanisms thus have to be provided for the transport of cations, which therefore allow for the introduction of controls. Such translocation processes may involve the active transport of cations against the concentration gradient with expenditure of energy via the hydrolysis of ATP. These ion pumps involve enzyme activity. Alternatively, facilitated diffusion may occur in which the cation is assisted to cross the hydrophobic barrier. Such diffusion will follow the concentration gradient until concentrations either side of... 

The behaviour of natural ligands has been discussed in Section 4.3.3. In addition to the direct effect of complexation that is related to a decrease in the free ion activity, it has been shown that some ligands, in particular the HS, can be sorbed directly to biological surfaces, in the presence or absence of the trace metal [228,229]. This result is likely due to the fact that HS and similar macromolecules contain hydrophobic moieties that facilitate their adsorption to the plasma membrane and cell wall [157,230,231]. Because adsorption is expected to occur primarily with sites that are independent of the transporters,... 

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