Lysenin forms a voltage-dependent channel in artificial lipid bilayer membranes

Lysenin, a hemolytic protein derived from the body fluid of earthworm, was incorporated into artificial bilayer membranes. Upon insertion, it formed a voltage-dependent large conductance channel in asolectin bilayers in a sphingomyelin-dependent manner. The channel had low ion-selectivity. Single-channel conductance was calculated as approximately 550 pS in 100 mM KCl. The channel in asolectin bilayers closed when the membrane was held at a positive potential. In contrast, the channel showed no voltage dependency in membranes made of pure phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin, suggesting some lipid contents included in the asolectin membranes affected channel gating.