Ion-Channel Gating in Transmembrane Receptor Proteins: Functional Activity in Tethered Lipid Membranes.

Through thiolipids a planar lipid bilayer (1) was immobilized on a gold support (2) for use as an electrode. This allows the detection of the ligand-gating function of the natural transmembrane channel protein OmpF (3) reconstituted in the artificial membrane: the binding of a domain (4) of the toxin colicin N, observed by surface plasmon resonance, induces the blocking of the OmpF channel protein, as shown by impedance spectroscopy.