IDENTIFICATION OF CHANNEL-FORMING ACTIVITY IN THE CELL-WALL OF CORYNEBACTERIUM-GLUTAMICUM

The cell wall of the gram-positive Corynebacterium glutamicum was prep ared. It contained an ion-permeable channel with a single-channel cond uctance of about 6 nS in 1 M KCl. The mobility sequence of the ions in the channel is similar to that in the aqueous phase, suggesting that it is a water-filled channel wide enough to allow unhindered diffusion of ions. The results indicate that we have identified the hydrophilic pathway through the mycolic acid layer of C. glutamicum.