Effects of quaternary ammonium salts on membrane potential and electric conductance in internodal cells of Nitettopsis obtusa |
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| Authors: | Zenon Trela Tadeusz Janas Stanistaw Witek Stanislaw Przestalski |
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| Affiliation: | Dept of Physics and Biophysics, Agricultural Univ., Norwida 25, PL-50–375 Wroclaw, Poland;Dept of Applied Mathematics and Informatics, Bioinformatics Section, Higher College of Engineering, PL-65–246 Zielona Córa, Poland;S. Witek, Inst. of Organic and Polymer Technology, Technical Univ., PL-50–377 Wroclaw, Poland. |
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| Abstract: | Effects of amphiphilic derivatives of glycine esters of the general formula (CH3)3N+CH2COOCnH2n+1Cl- (n = 10, 12, 14, 16) on membrane potential and conductance in internodal cells of the alga Nitellopsis obtusa were studied. The compounds decreased the potential difference between vacuole and external medium and increased the electric conductance. The effects depended on the length of the alkyl chain (n) and the concentration of these quaternary ammonium salts. Light-induced hyperpolarization was suppressed by the salts. We suggest that the ammonium salts inhibit the electrogenic proton pump in the plasmalemma and enhance the passive efflux of Cl- from the algal cell. |
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| Keywords: | Algal membranes amphiphiles depolarization hyperpolarization Nitellopsis obtusa visible light |
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