ARENAVIRUS FUSION PEPTIDE-INDUCED SINGLE IONIC CHANNELS IN THE LIPID BILAYER-MEMBRANES

Single cation-selective ionic channels were formed in dioleoylphosphat idylcholine bilayer membranes by synthetic arenavirus fusion peptide o f 23 amino acid residues. The channel conductance heterogeneity was fo und. Amplitude hystogram of single channel registered for bilayers in 0.1 M KCl, pH 7.4 at 21-degrees-C and 2 . 10(-9) M peptide concentrati on consisted of 4 components with mean conductances equal to 4.5, 8.2, 10.1 and 12.4 pS. The number and position of maxima of conductivity o n the hystograms appeared to be dependent on concentration of the fusi on peptide, ionic composition, pH and temperature of water solutions i n contact with bilayers. Different aggregates of fusion peptide molecu les forming ionic channels were suggested to be a factor determining t he multiconductance of the channels.