Volume 4, Number 3, p. 143–144
Electrical inductance properties of lipid bilayers with alamethicin channels
P. A. Grigoriev
Institute of Cell Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Puschino, Moscow Region, Russia
The electrical impedance of the lipid bilayer membrane with ion channels formed by the polypeptide antibiotic alamethicin was studied at the ac frequencies 0.3–10 kHz. The lipid bilayer with the ion channels behaved like an inductance, or negative capacitance. The effect is more pronounced at low frequencies and depends upon the dc voltage applied to the membrane as well as on the ac voltage. It is shown that the equivalent electrical inductance of the lipid bilayer membrane of area 0.2 mm2 at 800 Hz and 50 mV dc voltage, and at 3 μM alamethicin concentration in 1 M KCl, is about 75 H.
Keywords: inductance, ion channels, lipid bilyer