2-DIMENSIONAL SYSTEMS AS MIMETIC MEMBRANES

Monolayers and bilayers are useful models of natural membranes, in thi s paper we report some investigations either on membrane components or their model analogs, in two-dimensional state. In particular we studi ed mixed monolayers of two polypeptides to deduce the interfacial orie ntation and the bidimensional miscibility of the two macromolecules. T he properties of lipids in monolayers, Black Lipid Membranes (BLM) and vesicles were then compared. We obtained the conditions of molecular structure and of interfacial distribution for the formation and the st ability of each model system. We also modeled photoprocesses occurring in natural membranes studying charge transfer in mono and multilayers between an excited donor implanted in the lipid portion of the system and an appropriate water soluble acceptor. Finally we describe the co nstruction of a mimetic membrane containing an ion-carrier, namely val inomycin, by means of Langmuir-Blodgett technique that proved to be se lective to potassium ions.