| Abstract: | The voltage dependence of the conductance induced induced in thin lipid membranes by monazomycin is shown here to be caused by voltage- dependent variations in the frequency of channel openings. We also experimentally demonstrate certain interesting properties of the channel activity that are predicted by a chemical kinetic model (Muller and Peskin, 1981), which successfully describes the macroscopic conductance. We conclude that two parallel mechanisms--one autocatalytic, the other simple mass action--exist that allow monazomycin to enter (or leave) the membrane so that the monazomycin molecules can be in a position to form channels. |
