Published June 17, 1996
| public
Journal Article
pH-Sensitive, Cation-Selective Channels Formed by a Simple Synthetic Polyelectrolyte in Artificial Bilayer Membranes
Abstract
A synthetic amphiphilic polymer, poly(2-ethylacrylic acid), induces pore formation in artificial phospholipid bilayers under mildly acidic conditions. This process is pH-controllable and produces cation-selective ion channels of at least three unique large conductances with differing Na^+/Cl^- permeability ratio values. Two general types of channel gating kinetics are observed, one flickering and irregular and one regular and discrete. The discrete channel activity resembles that of well-characterized biological and synthetic peptides. Given the heterogeneity of polymer structure and conformation, this observation raises questions about the mechanism of polymer channel formation and the nature of these channels in lipid bilayer membranes.
Additional Information
Copyright © 1996 American Chemical Society. Received January 16, 1996; Revised Manuscript Received April 10, 1996. Publication Date (Web): June 17, 1996. Abstract published in Advance ACS Abstracts, May 15, 1996. We thank Professor R. M. Weis and Mr. N. Layzer for helpful and interesting discussions. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (MCB-9304393), the American Cancer Society (FRA-437), and the NSF Materials Research Science and Engineering Center at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 53447
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:CHUm1996
- MCB-9304393
- NSF
- FRA-437
- American Cancer Society
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