ETHANOL AFFECTS THE FUNCTION OF A NEUROTRANSMITTER RECEPTOR PROTEIN WITHOUT ALTERING THE MEMBRANE LIPID PHASE

Using patch-clamp and fluorescence techniques we found that ethanol (1 0-200 mM) potentiated strychnine-sensitive glycine receptors without h aving detectable effects on lipid order parameters in mouse spinal cor d neurons. Hepthanol (0.01-1 mM), in contrast, did not affect the glyc ine current, but it altered the core and surface of spinal neuron memb ranes as detected by changes in 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) an d Laurdan fluorescence parameters. These findings support the idea tha t ethanol affects these membrane proteins without changing lipid fluid ity. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.