Precipitation within unilamellar vesicles. Part 2. Membrane control of ion transport
Abstract
Phosphorus-31 and 1H n.m.r. spectroscopy have been used to investigate the control of intravesicular pH (pHin) by lipid membranes. The presence of encapsulated permeable anions is crucial in the intravesicular precipitation of hydroxides and oxides. In the absence of permeable anions no change in pHin has been observed on increasing extravesicular pH (pHout) above 12.0. In the presence of permeable NO3– ions, pHin rises only when pHout is increased above a value of 11.0. These observations are described in terms of the Goldman–Katz–Hodgkin equation for ion fluxes across a membrane permeable to more than one ion.
- This article is part of the themed collection: A collection of papers in memory of Professor Robert Williams