Surface properties of membrane systems: interaction of electrolyte and lipid with Ca2+ ionophores.

When spread from organic solvents onto electrolyte solutions, the Ca2+ ionophores A23187 (I) and X537A (II) formed films with relatively high surface pressures potentials. Ionophores I had collapse pressures between 16 and 19 dynes/cm and nearly equal surface activity on distilled water and on 1000 mEq of either sodium chloride or calcium chloride. Film pressure did not reveal appreciable ion selectivity. However, the surface potential of I on calcium chloride solution was higher than that on sodium chloride, and the potential difference, delta(deltaV), of 40 mv was independent of the electrolyte concentration. In contrast, the ion selectivity of II was dependent on the electrolyte concentrations since the delta(deltaV) value between calcium chloride and sodium chloride was maximal (130 mv) on 1000 mEq and negligible on 500- and 2000-mEq salt solutions. The isotherms of phospholipid-ionophore films were markedly different from those of the individual components, although they revealed ionophore characteristics at low film pressures and phospholipid behavior at high film pressures. The magnitude of the surface potential indicated that dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine enhanced, whereas mitochondrial lipid and cardiolipin reduced, the preference of the two ionophores for Ca2+ over Na+. Since the ion selectivity was manifested most at both high electrolyte and high lecithin concentrations, the ionophore probably prefers the low dielectric constant of neutral lipid membranes to complex with the selected cation.