Evidence that nystatin may not form channels in thin lipid membranes.
The mechanism of nystatin-induced conductance increases in planar bilayer membranes formed from lecithin/cholesterol (1:1) has been examined by spectral analysis of kinetic fluctuations. Lorentzian components of the power spectrum, characteristic of channel activity, were not observed for nystatin-doped membranes. Instead, the noise associated with this system (approximately 10(-27)A2/Hz) was in better agreement with that expected of a carrier mechanism involved in the transport of single charges in uncorrelated fashion. The implications of this result with respect to previous models of nystatin-induced conductance increases are discussed.
D000408:Alamethicin; D001692:Biological Transport; D002784:Cholesterol; D008433:Mathematics; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008954:Models, Biological; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D009761:Nystatin; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines
D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D009761:Nystatin; D000408:Alamethicin; D002784:Cholesterol