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Dielectric probe of the electric‐field‐sensitive peptide alamethicin
Author(s) -
Schwarz G.,
Savko P.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
bioelectromagnetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.435
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1521-186X
pISSN - 0197-8462
DOI - 10.1002/bem.2250030107
Subject(s) - alamethicin , electric field , dielectric , peptide , field (mathematics) , bioelectromagnetics , nuclear magnetic resonance , condensed matter physics , materials science , physics , chemistry , optoelectronics , electromagnetic field , membrane , biochemistry , mathematics , quantum mechanics , lipid bilayer , pure mathematics
Dielectric constant and loss of alamethicin in solvents of various degrees of lipophilicity (namely mixtures of n‐octanol and dioxane) have been measured at frequencies from 5 kHz to 50 MHz. By means of a conventional Cole‐Cole approach, dielectric properties were evaluated to obtain information about the structural and dipolar properties of the peptide in view of its function as a voltage‐dependent pore former in membranes. The results for a pure octanol solvent (together with an apparent molecular weight determined by ultracentrifugation) indicate the existence of primarily monomeric particles of quite elongated shape and of comparatively high dipole moment. Adding dioxane was found to yield considerable aggregation and a decrease of polarity.