title: Differential permeation of Artemia cysts and cucumber seeds by alcohols.
abstract: The rate of penetration of the simpler alcohols into brine shrimp cysts and cucumber seeds was studied. In solutions below 70% the rate of penetration is related to lipid solvent capacity of the alcohol. In concentrations above 70%, particularly in absolute alcohols, methanol penetrates brine shrimp rapidly and ethanol penetrates slowly. All the other alcohols tested did not pepetrate the dormant structures. Ethionine and deuteroxy-methanol did not affect the rate of penetration of methanol. It is suggested that in dehydrated membranes the lipid moiety is protected by a continuous sheet of protein. Methanol, which is fairly similar to water, is probably able to penetrate the membrane by initiating a conformation change in the protein, exposing the lipid which subsequently dissolves in the methanol thus destroying the membrane.
mesh_terms: D000433:1-Propanol / Q000378:metabolism; D000438:Alcohols / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D000440:Butanols / Q000378:metabolism; D033364:Decapoda / Q000378:metabolism*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000378:metabolism; D000432:Methanol / Q000378:metabolism; D010539:Permeability; D012639:Seeds / Q000378:metabolism*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; D000440:Butanols; D000431:Ethanol; D000433:1-Propanol; D000432:Methanol