A restatement of melittin-induced effects on the thermotropism of zwitterionic phospholipids

Perturbations induced by melittin on the thermotropism of dimyristoyl-, dipalmitoyl-, distearoylphosphatidylcholine and natural sphingomyelin are investigated and rationalized from data obtained by fluorescence polarization, differential scanning calorimetry and Raman spectroscopy. Depending on the technique and / or experimental conditions used, the observed effects differ at the same lipid to protein molar ratio, due to partial binding of melittin. The binding is more efficient for tetrameric than for monomeric melittin, but in both cases its affinity is weaker for phosphatidylcholine dispersions in the gel phase than for sonicated vesicles. For temperatures $\text{T ? T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext>}}$ efficient binding occurs whatever the initial state of the lipids is. One can summarize the effects induced by melittin on the transition temperature as follows: (i) No upward shift is observed on synthetic phosphatidylcholines when lipid degradation is avoided. This is achieved by using highly purified melittin, phospholipase inhibitors, and / or non-hydrolysable lipids. (ii) Melittin monomer does not change $\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext>}}$. (iii) When melittin tetramer is stabilized, it decreases $\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext>}}$ by 10–15 deg. C. The transition broadens, and is finally abolished for $\text{R}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>i</mtext>}}\text{? 2}$. Very similar results are found for natural sphingomyelin. Fluorescence polarization indicates similar changes in order and dynamics of the acyl chains for all lipid studied. For $\text{T ? T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext>}}$, fluorescence and Raman show that melittin decreases the amount of CH₂ groups in ‘trans’ conformation and the intermolecular order of the chains. According to fluorescence data, there is an increase of the rigid-body orientational order at $\text{T ? T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext>}}$, while from Raman the positional intermolecular order decreases without significant change in the CH₂ groups ‘trans’/‘gauche’ ratio.     

Asymmetric antagonistic effects of an inhalation anesthetic and high pressure on the phase transition temperature of dipalmitoyl phosphatidic acid bilayers

The phase transition temperature ($\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>t</mtext>}}$) of dipalmitoyl phosphatidic acid multilamellar liposomes is depressed 10°C by the inhalation anesthetic methoxyflurane at a concentration of 100 mmol/mol lipid. Application of 100 atm of helium pressure to pure phosphatidic acid liposomes increased $\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>t</mtext>}}$ only 1.5°C. However, application of 100 atm helium pressure to dipalmitoyl phosphatidic acid lipsomes containing 100 mmol methoxyflurane/mol lipid almost completely antagonized the effect of the anesthetic. A nonlinear pressure effect is observed. In a previous study, a concentration of 60 mmol methoxyflurane/mol dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine depressed $\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>t</mtext>}}$ only 1.5°C, exhibiting a linear pressure effect. The completely different behavior in the charged membrane is best explained by extrusion of the anesthetic from the lipid phase.     

Phospholipid exchange between bilayer membranes

The mode of interaction of aqueous dispersions of phospholipid vesicles is investigated. The vesicles (average diameter 950 Å) are prepared from total lipid extracts of Escherichia coli composed of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and cardiolipin. One type of vesicle contains $\text{trans-}\text{Δ}{}^9\text{-octadecenoate}$, the other type $\text{trans-}\text{Δ}{}^9\text{-hexadecenoate}$ as predominant acyl chain component. The vesicles show order?disorder transitions at transition temperatures, $\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>t</mtext>}}\text{= 42°}\text{C}$ and $\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>t</mtext>}}\text{= 29°}\text{C}$, respectively. A mixture of these vesicles is incubated at 45° C and lipid transfer is studied as a function of time using the phase transition as an indicator. The system reveals the following properties: Lipids are transferred between the two vesicle types giving rise to a vesicle population where both lipid components are homogeneously mixed. Lipid transfer is asymmetric, i.e. $\text{trans-}\text{Δ}{}^9\text{-hexadecenoate}$-containing lipid molecules appear more rapidly in the $\text{trans-}\text{Δ}{}^9\text{-octadecenoate}$-containing vesicles than vice versa. At a given molar ratio of the two types of vesicles the rate of lipid transfer is independent of the total vesicle concentration. It is concluded that lipid exchange through the water phase by way of single molecules or micelles is the mode of communication of these negatively charged lipid vesicles.     

Differential polarized phase fluorometric studies of phospholipid bilayers under high hydrostatic pressure

Differential polarized phase fluorometry was used to quantify the rotational rate ($\text{R}$) and limiting anisotropy ($\text{r}{}_{\mathrm{\infty }}$) of the membrane probe diphenylhexatriene (DPH) in solvents and lipid vesicles exposed to hydrostatic pressures ranging from 1 bar to 2 kbar. These measurements reveal the effect of pressure on the phase-transition temperatures of the phosphatidylcholine vesicles, and the effects of pressure on order parameter of the acyl side-chain region of the membranes, the latter as indicated by $\text{r}{}_{\mathrm{\infty }}$. In addition to the well-known elevation of the transition temperature ($\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>c</mtext>}}$) with pressure, our results demonstrate that increased pressure restores the order of the bilayers to that representative of temperatures below the transition temperature. We also found that solvents which allowed free isotropic rotation of DPH at 1 bar no longer allowed free rotation when sufficiently compressed; moreover, the apparent DPH rotational rate increased with $\text{r}{}_{\mathrm{\infty }}$. Pressure studies using both DPH and the charged DPH analogue, trimethylammonium DPH (TMA-DPH) indicated that the $\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>c</mtext>}}$ of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles increased 23 K/kbar and an apparent volume change of 0.036 ml/mol lipid at the phase transition. Assuming, as has been proposed, that TMA-DPH is localized near the glycerol backbone region of the bilayers, these results indicate a similar temperature- and pressure-dependent phase transition in this region and the acyl side-chain region of the membrane.     

Protein-catalyzed phospholipid exchange in bilayer vesicles determined by flow cytometry and electron microscopy

The protein-induced lipid transfer between phosphatidylcholine vesicles was investigated. Measurements of the degree of polarization at single vesicles were made by flow cytometry using diphenylhexatriene as the optical probe. Vesicles differing in phase transition temperature could be distinguished by their degree of polarization at a temperature where one population was in the fluid ($\text{T > T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>t</mtext>}}$) and the other one in the quasi-crystalline ($\text{T < T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>t</mtext>}}$) state. Besides vesicles containing exchanged lipids we also observed fractions of unaffected vesicles. The lipid exchange was visualized directly by freeze-fracture electron microscopy. The characteristic ‘ripple’ structure of phosphatidylcholine vesicles disappeared upon exchange with lipid in the fluid state.     

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance studies of the manganese (II) binding site of concanavalin A. Effect of saccharides on the solvent relaxation rates

The longitudinal relaxation rate ($\text{1}\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>p</mtext>}}$) of water protons was studied in solutions of Mn(II)-concanavalin A at a number of frequencies. These relaxation rates were lowered in the presence of a variety of saccharides which have affinities for concanavalin A which range over two orders of magnitude. A good correlation was found in which saccharides which bind tightly have the greatest effect and saccharides which bind weakly or not at all have little effect on the $\text{1}\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>p</mtext>}}$ values. The temperature dependence of the proton relaxation rates showed that the lowering of these rates in the presence of saccharides was most likely due to a change in the exchange rate of solvent interacting with protein-bound Mn(II), $\text{1}\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext>}}$.An analysis of the temperature and frequency dependence of the $\text{1}\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>p</mtext>}}$ and $\text{1}\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>2</mtext><mtext>p</mtext>}}$ (transverse) solvent proton relaxation rates resulted in evaluation of a number of parameters for solvent water molecules interacting in the first coordination sphere of Mn(II) bound to concanavalin A. The ratio of the number of water molecules (q) to the Mn(II)-proton distance (r) obtained from a computer fit of the data over a limited temperature range is in accord with the findings of Koenig et al. ((1973) Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci.70, 475) and Meirovitch and Kalb ((1973) Biochim. Biophys. Acta303, 258). However, our studies of $\text{1}\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>p</mtext>}}$ and $\text{1}\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>2</mtext><mtext>p</mtext>}}$ of water over a more extensive temperature range are best fit with the following conclusions: at low temperatures (<20 °C), the data are consistent with an outer-sphere relaxation process. At higher temperatures (> 30 °C), the water molecule in the inner coordination sphere of the bound Mn(II) begins exchanging more rapidly and contributes to the relaxation processes ($\text{1}\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>p</mtext>}}$ and $\text{1}\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>2</mtext><mtext>p</mtext>}}$). The relaxation time of protons in the inner coordination shell, T_1M, contributes over the entire temperature range and produces a frequency dependence in the relaxivity data from 6 to 100 MH_z since the contributions to the correlation times are in the range 10^?9-10^?8 sec.     

Influence of duration of incubation on zooplankton respiration and excretion results

Respiration (O), ammonium (NH₄), phosphate (PO₄), total nitrogen (N_T) and phosphorus (P_T) excretions were measured on mixed zooplankton during 3-, 6-, 9-, 12-, 21-, and 24-h incubation periods at 20–23 C. The excretion rates of PO₄, N_T. and P_T decrease during a 21-h period, while rates of respiration and excretion of NH{IN4} are constant. The percentage of inorganic nitrogen excreted increases regularly from 3 h (30–40% of total nitrogen) to 21 h (70–80%) and it could be either due to a bacterial activity which was measured or to a decrease with time of organic nitrogen excreted because of starvation. $\text{O}\text{N}{}_{\mathrm{T}}$, $\text{O}\text{PO}{}_4$, $\text{O}\text{P}{}_{\mathrm{T}}$, and $\text{NH}{}_4\text{PO}{}_4$ ratios increase during the first 9 h of incubation; the percentage of inorganic phosphorus excreted is higher at the very beginning and then remains constant from 6 to 24 h. $\text{O}\text{NH}{}_4$ and $\text{N}{}_{\mathrm{T}}\text{P}{}_{\mathrm{T}}$ ratios are constant during a 24-h term, which makes them useful metabolic indexes.     

The diffusion-concentration product of oxygen in lipid bilayers using the spin-label T1 method

A method is described to measure the oxygen diffusion-concentration product, $\text{D}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>o</mtext>}}\text{[}\text{O}{}_2\text{]}$, at any locus that can be probed or labeled using nitroxide radicals. The method is based on the dependence of the spin-lattice relaxation time $\text{T}{}_1$ of the spin label on the bimolecular collision rate with oxygen. Strong Heisenberg exchange between spin label and oxygen contributes directly to $\text{T}{}_1$ of the spin label, while dipolar interactions are negligible. Both time-domain and continuous wave saturation methods for studying $\text{T}{}_1$ are considered. The method has been applied to phospholipid liposomes using fatty acid spin labels. A discontinuity in $\text{D}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>o</mtext>}}\text{[}\text{O}{}_2\text{]}$ at the main phase transition was observed.     

Serum principal iodothyronines and the influence of cold exposure associated with shearing in the sheep

The effect of cold exposure caused by shearing on serum thyroid hormone (TH) concentrations in sheep kept at an ambient temperature of 8.5°C was studied. While the deep body temperature fell to the lowest level 4 h after shearing the concentration of triiodothyronine (T₃) increased to a peak value at that time. Thyroxine (T₄) and metabolically inactive reverse triiodothyronine (rT₃) levels reached their peak value after 24 h. The $\text{T}{}_3\text{T}{}_4$ ratio reached a maximum at about 4 h and $\text{rT}{}_3\text{T}{}_4$ and $\text{rT}{}_3\text{T}{}_3$ ratios rose to maximum values about 24 h after shearing. This sequence of events suggest a biphasic response to cold—an immediate secretion of TH from the thyroid gland, followed by adaptive alteration in T₃ and rT₃ generation in the extrathyroidal tissues.     

Initial membrane reaction in peptidoglycan synthesis. Interaction of lipid with phospho-N-acetylmuramylpentapeptide translocase

The initial membrane reaction in the biosynthesis of peptidoglycan is catalyzed by $\text{phospho}\text{-N-}\text{acetylmuramyl}$ (MurNAc)-pentapeptide translocase (UDP-MurNAc-Ala-γ dGlu-Lys-dAla-dAla undecaprenyl phosphate phospho-MurN Acpentapeptide transferase). In addition to the transfer reaction, the enzyme catalyzes the exchange of [³H]uridine monophosphate with the uridine monophosphate moiety of UDP-MurN Ac-pentapeptide. Two distinct discontinuities are observed in the slopes of the Arrhenius plots of the exchange and transfer activities at 22 and 30°C for the enzyme from Staphylococcus aureus Copenhagen. Anisotropy measurements of perylene fluorescence and electron spin resonance measurements of $\text{N-}\text{oxyl}\text{-4′,4′-}\text{dimethyloxazolidine}$ derivatives of 12-and 16-ketostearic acid intercalated into membranes from this organism define the lower ($\text{T}{}_1\text{= 16–22°}\text{C}$) and upper ($\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>h</mtext>}}\text{= 30°}\text{C}$) boundaries of a phase transition. These values correlate with the discontinuities observed for the activity measurements. Thus, it is proposed that the physical state of the lipid micro-environment of phospho-MurN Ac-pentapeptide translocase has a significant effect on the catalytic activity of this enzyme.     

Interactions of proteins and cholesterol with lipids in bilayer membranes

Mixtures of lipids and proteins, the ATPase from rabbit sarcoplasmic reticulum, were studied by freeze-fracture electron microscopy and by measurement of the amount of fluid lipid with the spin label 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO). In dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine vesicles the protein molecules were randomly distributed above the transition temperature, $\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>t</mtext>}}$, of the lipid and aggregated below $\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>t</mtext>}}$. For mixtures af dimyristoyl and dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine the existence of fluid and solid domains was shown in the temperature interval predicted from earlier TEMPO measurements. When protein was incorporated into this lipid mixture, freeze-fracture particles were randomly distributed in fluid lipids, or aggregated when only solid lipids were present.In mixtures of dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine with cholesterol the protein was distributed randomly above the transition temperature of the phosphatidylcholine. Below that transition temperature the protein was excluded from a banded phase of solid lipid in the case of 10 mol% cholesterol. In mixtures containing 20 mol% cholesterol, protein molecules formed linear arrays, 50–200 nm in length, around smooth patches of lipid.Phase diagrams for lipid/cholesterol and lipid/protein systems are proposed which account for many of the available data. A model for increasing solidification of lipid around protein molecules or cholesterol above the transition temperarture of the lipid is discussed.     

Involvement of thyroid gland in the development of migratory disposition in the redheaded bunting, Emberiza bruniceps

In the redheaded bunting Emberiza bruniceps, thyroidectomy inhibited premigratory fattening and nocturnal restlessness—two characteristics of avian migration—observed in caged birds during the premigratory period (March/April). Thyroxine (T₄) and triiodothyronine (T₃) administration in thyroidectomized birds stimulated locomotor activity and restored the loss in body weight. Annual variations in circulating thyroid hormone concentrations revealed a significant rise in $\text{T}{}_3\text{T}{}_4$ ratio prior to spring migration in both years studied. This increase in circulating $\text{T}{}_3\text{T}{}_4$ ratio may be associated with the development of migratory disposition in this bird. There was no increase in circulating $\text{T}{}_3\text{T}{}_4$ ratio prior to autumnal migration, however, plasma T₄ increased significantly. Different thyroidal mechanisms are most likely involved in spring and fall migratory periods. While T₃ remained low throughout, apart from the characteristic spring rise, high T₄ levels in E. bruniceps were associated with periods of reproduction and molting, the latter coinciding partly with autumnal migration.     

The influence of charge on phosphatidic acid bilayer membranes

A complete titration of phosphatidic acid bilayer membranes was possible for the first time by the introduction of a new anaologue, $\text{1,2-}\text{dihexadecyl}\text{-sn-}\text{glycerol-3-phosphoric}$ acid, which has the advantage of a high chemical stability at extreme pH values. The synthesis of this phosphatidic acid is described and the phase transition behaviour in aqueous dispersions is compared with that of three ester phosphatidic acids; $\text{1,2-}\text{dimyristoyl}\text{-sn-}\text{glycerol-3-phosphoric}$ acid, 1,3-dimyristoylglycerol-2-phosphoric acid and $\text{1,2-}\text{dipalmitoyl}\text{-sn-}\text{glycerol-3-phosphoric}$ acid.The phase transition temperatures ($\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>t</mtext>}}$) of aqueous phosphatidic acid dispersions at different degrees of dissociation were measured using fluorescence spectroscopy and 90° light scattering. The $\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>t</mtext>}}$ values are comparable to the melting points of the solid phosphatidic acids in the fully protonated states, but large differences exist for the charged states.The $\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>t</mtext>}}$ vs. pH diagrams of the four phosphatidic acids are quite similar and of a characteristic shape. Increasing ionisation results in a maximum value for the transition temperatures at pH 3.5 ($\text{p}\text{K}{}_1$). The regions between the first and the second $\text{p}\text{K}$ of the phosphatidic acids are characterised by only small variations in the transition temperatures (extended plateau) in spite of the large changes occurring in the surface charge of the membranes. The slope of the plateau is very shallow with increasing ionisation. A further decrease in the H⁺ concentration results in an abrupt change of the transition temperature. The slope of the $\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>t</mtext>}}$ vs. pH diagram beyond $\text{p}\text{K}{}_2$ becomes very steep. This is the     

Deuterated phospholipids as raman spectroscopic probes of membrane structure: Phase diagrams for the dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine(and its d62 derivative)-dipalmitoyl phosphatidylethanolamine system

Raman spectroscopic techniques have been used to construct phase diagrams for the binary phospholipid systems, DPPC-d₆₂/DPPE and DPPC/DPPE (DPPC, dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine; DPPE, dipalmitoyl phosphatidylethanolamine). For the former, the half-width of the C-²H stretching modes of the deuterated component near 2100 cm^?1 serves as an indicator of phospholipid fluidity. The phase behavior is described semi-quantitatively using regular solution theory with the following non-ideality parameters:

$\text{ρ}{}_0{}^{\mathrm{(1)}}\text{=0.75}\text{kcal/mol and}\text{ρ}{}_0{}^{\mathrm{(s)}}\text{=1.05}\text{kcal/mol}$

The use of deuterated phospholipids as one component of a binary mixture permits direct evaluation of the conformation of a particular component in the mixture throughout the phase separation region. The approach is demonstrated with the help of a simple model correlating the half-width of the symmetric C-²H stretching mode with the fraction of DPPC-d₆₂ hydrocarbon chains in the liquid crystalline state.The effect of chain perdeuteration on the phase behavior of DPPC with DPPE is evaluated by comparison of the phase diagram of the DPPC-d₆₂/DPPE system with that of DPPC-DPPE. The latter has been constructed previously from both probe and calorimetric techniques, and is created from the Raman spectroscopic data using the $\text{I(}\text{1130}\text{1100}\text{)}$ ratio to characterize the transgauche population ratio in non-deuterated hydrocarbon chains. A reasonable fit to the phase behavior is obtained using:

$\text{ρ}{}_0{}^{\mathrm{(1)}}\text{=0.85}\text{kcal/mol and}\text{ρ}{}_0{}^{\mathrm{(s)}}\text{=0.90}\text{kcal/mol}$

The similarities of the non-ideality parameters in the two phase diagrams indicate that the effect of perdeuteration on the phase behavior of DPPC is not extensive. The use of deuterated phospholipids as essentially unperturbed components of a model membrane system is justified.     

Influence of ionic strength upon the proton inventory for the water-catalyzed hydrolysis of N-acetylbenzotriazole

Proton inventory investigations of the hydrolysis N-acetylbenzotriazole at pH 3.0 (or the equivalent point on the pD rate profile) have been conducted at two different temperatures and at ionic strengths ranging from 0 to 3.0 M. The solvent deuterium isotope effects and proton inventories are remarkably similar over this wide range of conditions. The proton inventories suggest a cyclic transition state involving four protons contributing to the solvent deuterium isotope effect for the water-catalyzed hydrolysis. The hydrolysis data are described by the equation $\text{k}{}_{\mathrm{n}}\text{= k}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>o</mtext>}}\text{(1 ? n + nπ}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>a</mtext>}}{}^1\text{)}{}^4$ with $\text{π}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>a</mtext>}}{}^1\text{～ 0.74}$, where k_o is the observed first-order rate constant in protium oxide, n is the atom fraction of deuterium in the solvent, k_n is the rate constant in a protium oxide-deuterium oxide mixture, and $\text{π}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>a</mtext>}}{}^1$ is the isotopic fractionation factor.     

Phase transition characteristics of diphosphatidylglycerol (cardiolipin) and stereoisomeric phosphatidyldiacylglycerol bilayers: Mono- and divalent metal ion effects

Synthesis and phase transition characteristics of aqueous dispersions of the homologous (12 : 0, 14 : 0, 16 : 0) diphosphatidylglycerols (cardiolipins) and phosphatidyldiacylglycerols are reported. Electron microscopy of the negatively stained aqueous dispersions reveals a characteristic lamellar structure suggesting that these phospholipid molecules are organized as bilayers in the aqueous dispersions. The phase transition temperature ($\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext>}}$) and the enthalpy of transition ($\text{ΔH}$) increase monotonically with chain length in the cardiolipin and phosphatidyldiacylglycerol series; $\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext>}}$ for phosphatidyldiacylglycerol is higher than that for cardiolipin of the same chain-length. The transition temperatures for the enantiomeric $\text{sn-3,3-}\text{and}\text{sn-1,1-}\text{phosphatidyldiacylglycerol}$ and for the diastereomeric, $\text{meso}\text{-sn-1,3-}\text{phosphatidyldiacylglycerol}$ are approximately the same. The molar enthalpy for the transition of cardiolipin-NH₄⁺ bilayers is approximately twice the value for the phosphatidylcholines of the same chain length, i.e., the molar enthalpy per acyl chain is approximately the same in the two systems. The transition temperatures for metal ion salts of C_{1 6}-cardiolipin exhibit a biphasic dependence upon the unhydrated ionic radii, i.e. the highest $\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext>}}$ is observed for Ca²⁺- cardiolipin and decreases for the salts of ions with smaller and larger ionic radii than that of Ca²⁺. The lowest $\text{T}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>m</mtext>}}$ is observed for Rb⁺-cardiolipin. Monovalent metal salts of cardiolipin exhibit two phase transitions. This effect may result from different conformational packing of the four acyl chains due to differences in metal-phosphate binding.     

Temperature-dependent relationship between K+ influx,Mg2+-ATPase activity,transmembrane potential and membrane lipid composition in mycoplasma

The temperature-dependent relationship between K⁺ active influx, Mg²⁺-ATPase activity, transmembrane potential (ΔΨ) and the membrane lipid composition has been investigated in mycoplasma PG3. Native organisms were grown in a medium containing 10 μg/ml cholesterol and either oleic plus palmitic (chol (+), O + P) or elaidic (chol (+), E) acids. Adapted cells were grown in a medium free of exogenous cholesterol and supplemented with elaidic acid (chol (?), E).Arrhenius plots of ⁴²K⁺ active influx gave a linear relationship for (chol (+), O + P) cells ($\text{E}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>A</mtext>}}\text{= ?9}\text{kcal}$). On the other hand, when oleic plus palmitic acids are replaced by elaidic acid, an upward discontinuity appears between 28 and 30°C, which is associated with a large increase in the apparent activation energy of the process ($\text{t > 30°}\text{C}\text{, E}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>A</mtext>}}\text{= ?24}\text{kcal}\text{; t < 30°}\text{C}\text{, E}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>A</mtext>}}\text{= ?40}\text{kcal}$).Finally, a biphasic response with a break at approx. 23°C ($\text{E}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>A</mtext>}}\text{= ?7}\text{kcal}\text{, t > 23°}\text{C}$; $\text{E}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>A</mtext>}}\text{= ?44}\text{kcal}\text{, t < 23°}\text{C}$) is observed for (chol (?), E) organisms. From the lack of correspondence between these effects on the K⁺ influx and the temperature dependence of both the Mg²⁺-ATPase activity and ΔΨ, it is suggested that changes in the membrane lipid composition affect the K⁺ transport at the level of the K⁺ carrier itself.Differential scanning calorimetry, steady-state fluorescence polarization of diphenylhexatriene and freeze-fracture electron microscopy experiments further suggest that the effect is largely due to modifications of the membrane microviscosity and that the K⁺ carrier is associated with the most fluid lipid species present in the membrane.