The influence of pH on the conductance of lipid bimolecular membranes in relation to the alkaline ion transport induced by carboxylic carriers grisorixin, alborixin and monensin.

The influence of the pH on the stability and stoichiometry of the complexes formed by carboxylic-antibiotics such as grisorixin, alborixin and monensin with alkaline and alkaline earth cations has been investigated. The maximum values of bimolecular lipid membrane conductance are obtained with grisorixin and potassium ion. The conductance-pH curves show a very pronounced maximum in the neutral pH range. The results are analysed on the basis of a dimeric form of the ionophore in the complex and the possibility of having several charged complexes resulting from an heterogeneous reaction, the number of each complexed form depending on the pH of the bulk solutions.