title: Cluster organization of ion channels formed by the antibiotic syringomycin E in bilayer lipid membranes.
abstract: The cyclic lipodepsipeptide, syringomycin E, when incorporated into planar lipid bilayer membranes, forms two types of channels (small and large) that are different in conductance by a factor of sixfold. To discriminate between a cluster organization-type channel structure and other possible different structures for the two channel types, their ionic selectivity and pore size were determined. Pore size was assessed using water-soluble polymers. Ion selectivity was found to be essentially the same for both the small and large channels. Their reversal (zero current) potentials with the sign corresponding to anionic selectivity did not differ by more than 3 mV at a twofold electrolyte gradient across the bilayer. Reduction in the single-channel conductance induced by poly(ethylene glycol)s of different molecular weights demonstrated that the aqueous pore sizes of the small and large channels did not differ by more than 2% and were close to 1 nm. Based on their virtually identical selectivity and size, we conclude that large syringomycin E channels are clusters of small ones exhibiting synchronous opening and closing.
authors.affiliation: Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-3308, USA.
authors.forename: Y A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Kaulin
authors.forename: L V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Schagina
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Bezrukov
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Malev
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Feigin
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Takemoto
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Teeter
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Brand
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004573:Electrolytes; D007473:Ion Channels; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D008954:Models, Biological; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000737:chemistry*; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines / Q000737:chemistry; D010718:Phosphatidylserines / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004573:Electrolytes; D007473:Ion Channels; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines; D010718:Phosphatidylserines; C105246:syringomycin E; C042511:1,2-dioleoylphosphatidylserine; C020888:1,2-dielaidoylphosphatidylethanolamine