Membrane Dipole Potential Research Articles

The membrane dipole potential in a total membrane potential model. Applications to hydrophobic ion interactions with membranes

The total potential energy profile for hydrophobic ion interactions with lipid bilayers can be written as the sum of four terms: the electrical Born, image and dipole contributions, and a neutral energy term. We introduce a specific model for the membrane dipole potential, treating it as a two-dimensional array of point dipoles located near each membrane-water interface. Together with specific theoretical models for the other energy terms, a total potential profile is developed that successfully describes the complete set of thermodynamic parameters for binding and translocation for the two hydrophobic ion structural analogues, tetraphenylphosphonium (TPP+) and tetraphenylboron (TPB-). A reasonable fit to the data is possible if the dipole potential energy has a magnitude of 5.5 + 0.5 kcal/mol (240 + 20 mV), positive inside, and if the neutral energy contribution for TPP+ and TPB- is -7.0 + 1.0 kcal/mol. These results may also have important implications for small ion interactions with membranes and the energetics of charged groups in membrane proteins.

Electrostatic modeling of ion pores. II. Effects attributable to the membrane dipole potential

This paper presents calculations of the shielded dipole potential in the interior of a pore piercing a lipid membrane that is at a potential V0 with respect to the aqueous solution. Except in the case of long narrow pores, there is substantial shielding of the membrane dipole potential. The associated dipole field never extends a significant distance into the aqueous region. The fact that the single-channel conductance of gramicidin B is only twice as large in glyceryl monooleate membranes as in phosphatidyl choline (PC) membranes, even though PC is approximately 120 mV more positive with respect to water, is interpreted in terms of the potential energy profile calculated for a gramicidin-like channel. It is demonstrated that the membrane dipole potential can significantly affect channel conductance only if the pore is narrow and if the peak in the potential energy profile occurs in the pore interior.

Tributyltin-mediated exchange diffusion of halides in lipid bilayers.

This paper describes the effect of tributyltin (TBT) on the inorganic anion permeability of lipid bilayers. When this compound is added in micromolar concentrations to one or both sides of a phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE) membrane formed in 0.1 M NaCl or KCl (pH 7), there is no change in the electrical conductance. Under these circumstances, the Cl self-exchange flux measured with 36Cl (MCl) increases from a value of approximately 10(-12) mol.cm-2.s-1, to approximately 10(-8) mol.cm-2.s-1. It was further found that the relation between chloride flux and [TBT] and [Cl] can be described as: MCl = B[TBT] [Cl]. When chloride was replaced by an equimolar concentration of different univalent anions in the trans compartment, the heteroexchange flux of chloride followed the sequence: I greater than Br greater than Cl greater than F greater than NO3. Under all experimental conditions tested, the chloride flux was always more than 10(3) times the maximum flux predicted from the value of the membrane conductance, and at least 100 times higher than the expected fluxes of ion pairs (TBT-Cl) diffusing across the unstirred layers. Thus, the mechanism by which tributyltin increases anion permeability in bilayers seems to be that of an obligatory exchange diffusion, with the reaction between tributyltin and the halides occurring at the membrane surface. Measurements of interfacial potentials indicate that tributyltin chloride lowers the positive intrinsic dipole potential of PE membranes by approximately 70 mV (at a TBT concentration of 30 microM) without substantial alteration of other parameters of the bilayer. The estimated adsorption coefficient of TBT-Cl was found to be 3 x 10(-4) cm.