Raman spectroscopic investigations on conformational changes induced by some phenol derivatives on phospholipid membranes.

Some phenol derivatives which uncouple oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria alter the dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine membrane structure in the same way that elevating the temperature does. Below the transition temperature, they disorder the membrane gel-phase by inducing the pretransition situation at concentrations within significant biological limits. When the temperature is higher than Tm, their effect on the membrane structure is negligible. The comparison of these phenol derivatives having uncoupling activity with a phenol derivative which does not have such activity demonstrates that the latter does not induce a similar physical effect.