Voltage-induced thickness changes of lipid bilayer membranes and the effect of an electrin field on gramicidin A channel formation.

The thickness changes of black lipid membranes of different composition after a voltage jump were investigated. In a second series of electrical relaxation experiments the kinetics of channel formation by gramicidin A were measured. The time course of the membrane current was compared with the time course of the thickness change of the membranes. We found that the time course of the current as a consequence of channel formation by gramicidin A did not correlate with the thickness change of the lipid membranes. A possible direct influence of the electric field is discussed.