Departamento de Histología y Embriología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Gral. Flores 2125, 11800 Montevideo, Uruguay.
Sección Biofísica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá s/n esq. Mataojo, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay.
Biomed Res Int. 2021 Oct 21;2021:2641068. doi: 10.1155/2021/2641068. eCollection 2021.
Gramicidin is a thoroughly studied cation ionophore widely used to experimentally manipulate the plasma membrane potential (PMP). In addition, it has been established that the drug, due to its hydrophobic nature, is capable of affecting the organization of membrane lipids. We have previously shown that modifications in the plasma membrane potential of epithelial cells in culture determine reorganizations of the cytoskeleton. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved, we explored the effects of PMP depolarization on some putative signaling intermediates. In the course of these studies, we came across some results that could not be interpreted in terms of the properties of gramicidin as an ionic channel. The purpose of the present work is to communicate these results and, in general, to draw attention to the fact that gramicidin effects can be misleadingly attributed to its ionic or electrical properties. In addition, this work also contributes with some novel findings of the modifications provoked on the signaling intermediates by PMP depolarization and hyperpolarization.
短杆菌肽是一种经过深入研究的阳离子载体，广泛用于实验操作质膜电位（PMP）。此外，已经确定该药物由于其疏水性，能够影响膜脂的组织。我们之前已经表明，培养中的上皮细胞的质膜电位的改变决定了细胞骨架的重组。为了阐明所涉及的分子机制，我们探索了 PMP 去极化对一些假定信号中间物的影响。在这些研究的过程中，我们遇到了一些不能用短杆菌肽作为离子通道的特性来解释的结果。本工作的目的是交流这些结果，并提醒人们注意这样一个事实，即短杆菌肽的作用可能会被错误地归因于其离子或电学特性。此外，这项工作还提供了一些关于 PMP 去极化和超极化引起的信号中间物修饰的新发现。
