EFFECT OF PALMITIC AND LAURIC ACIDS ON THE PHOSPHOLIPID-BILAYER MEMBRANE CONDUCTIVITY

Palmitic acid increased the conductivity of BLM from mitochondrial pho spholipids when they were dissolved in a mixture of decane and chlorod ecane, and was ineffective when phospholipids were dissolved in decane . Lauric acid produced an increase in the membrane conductivity indepe ndently of the phospholipid type in the membrane-forming solutions (mi tochondrial phospholipids, asolectin, lecithin with cholesterol) and t heir solvents (decane or decane with chlorodecane). The results show t hat discrepancies between published data concerning fatty acid effects on the BLM conductivity may be explained by differences in phospholip ids, their solvents and fatty acid used.