title: Properties of flavonoids influencing the binding to bilitranslocase investigated by neural network modelling.
abstract: Bilitranslocase is a plasma membrane carrier firstly identified on the sinusoidal (vascular) domain of liver cells and later on also in the gastric epithelium. It transports diverse organic anions, such as bilirubin, some phthaleins and many dietary anthocyanins, suggesting that it could play a role both in the absorption of flavonoids from dietary sources and in their hepatic metabolism. This work was aimed at characterising the interaction of bilitranslocase with flavonols, a flavonoid sub-class. The results obtained show that, contrary to anthocyanins, flavonol glycosides do not interact with the carrier, whereas just some of the corresponding aglycones act as relatively poor ligands to bilitranslocase. These data point to a clear-cut discrimination between anthocyanins and flavonols occurring at the level of the bilitranslocase transport site. A quantitative structure-activity relationship based on counter propagation artificial neural network modelling was undertaken in order to shed light on the nature of flavonoid interaction with bilitranslocase. It was found that binding relies on the ability to establish hydrogen bonds, ruling out the involvement of charge interactions. This requisite might be at the basis of the discrimination between anthocyanins and flavonols by bilitranslocase and could lie behind some aspects of the distinct pharmacokinetic properties of anthocyanins and flavonols in mammals.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karawajczyk
authors.forename: Viktor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Drgan
authors.forename: Nevenka
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Medic
authors.forename: Ganiyu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Oboh
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Passamonti
authors.forename: Marjana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Novic
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002570:Ceruloplasmin; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D011485:Protein Binding; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D005419:Flavonoids; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D002570:Ceruloplasmin; C033838:bilitranslocase