title: The structure of Staphylococcus aureus alpha-toxin-induced ionic channel.
abstract: Polyethylene glycols (PEG) with molecular weight less than or equal to 3000 were shown to effectively protect human erythrocytes from osmotic lysis induced by alpha-staphylotoxin (ST). PEG with MW less than 3000 do not change the conductivity of ion channels induced by ST in bilayer lipid membranes (BLM). Changing the bilayer from a pure phosphatidylcholine (PC) to a negatively charged phosphatidylserine (PS) film results in an asymmetry of the current-voltage characteristics. This is evidenced by the asymmetrical position of the ST-channel pore in bilayer membranes. The results obtained allow to conclude that the ST-channel is an interprotein pore filled with water (with an inner diameter of 2.5-3 nm and a length of approximately 10 nm). It is composed of six molecules of alpha-toxin from Staphylococcus aureus. The ST-channel incorporates into a membrane with only one mouth in contact with the polar lipid heads and the other one protruding 4.5-5 nm from the bilayer plane in water solution.
authors: Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the UzSSR, Tashkent.
authors: O V
authors: OV
authors: Krasilnikov
authors: R Z
authors: RZ
authors: Sabirov
authors: V I
authors: VI
authors: Ternovsky
authors: P G
authors: PG
authors: Merzliak
authors: B A
authors: BA
authors: Tashmukhamedov
mesh_terms: D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000494:pharmacology; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007473:Ion Channels; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008954:Models, Biological; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D010718:Phosphatidylserines; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000494:pharmacology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D007473:Ion Channels; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D010718:Phosphatidylserines; C021091:staphylococcal alpha-toxin; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols