Interaction of the herbicide atrazine with model membranes. I: Physico-chemical studies on dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine liposomes.

Atrazine (2-chloro-4 ethylamino-6-(isopropylamino)-s-triazine) is one of the most widely used herbicides. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and fluorescence polarization of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) and of its derivative 1-(4-trimethylaminophenyl)-6-phenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (TMA-DPH) were used to study the interaction of atrazine with dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine liposomes used as a model for biological membranes. The results show that atrazine does not perturb the hydrophobic core of the lipid bilayer and suggest that the herbicide localizes near the glycerol backbone of the lipid.