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The use of carotenoids and oxonol VI as probes for membrane potential in proteoliposomes
Author(s) -
van Walraven H.S.,
Krab K.,
Hagendoorn M.J.M.,
Kraayenhof R.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(85)80661-x
Subject(s) - carotenoid , chemistry , membrane , biophysics , biochemistry , biology
Carotenoids present in lipids extracted from the cyanobacterium Synechococcus 6716 indicate trans‐membrane potential in proteoliposomes reconstituted from these lipids and the ATPase complex isolated from the same organism. A carotenoid absorbance band shift to a longer wavelenght is obtained with valinomycin‐induced potassium ion diffusion potentials, irrespective of the polarity of the potassium gradient. In contrast to this, the (externally added) probe oxonol VI only shows an absorbance band shift when the external potassium ion concentration is higher than the internal one. In liposomes without ATPase complex, no carotenoid absorbance band shifts were observed.