title: Potential-dependent alpha-latrotoxin interaction with black lipid membranes.
abstract: The influence of membrane potential on alpha-latrotoxin insertion into bilayer lipid membranes (BLM) has been investigated. It was found that positive potentials cis to toxin application stimulated the formation of channels in the bilayer. A two-step model of latrotoxin/membrane interaction is put forward to explain these data. In the first step, latrotoxin irreversibly binds to the bilayer without forming conductive structures. The second step of the process represents rapid insertion of the protein molecule into the bilayer with the formation of the conducting channel. We imagine the driving force for this process to be the interaction of charged groups in the toxin molecule with the electric field applied across the BLM. Our results are compared with known data on the interaction of LTX with synaptosomal membranes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurochemistry, A.V. Palladin Biochemistry Institute, Kiev, Ukraine.
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Chanturia
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Lishko
mesh_terms: D004553:Electric Conductivity; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000032:analysis*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D013111:Spider Venoms / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D013111:Spider Venoms; C020763:alpha-latrotoxin