Properties of lipid bilayer membranes separating two aqueous phases: water permeability

Permeation of water through cation exchange membranes

Water permeabilities as well as other membrane parameters, such as exchange capacity, water content, and specific conductance, have been measured for two cation exchange membranes in the H form. The conductance of membrane with low water content was less than that of the membrane with high water content. These data have been discussed in the light of an existing theory and found inadequate to explain the results in a quantitative way. Water permeability of the membranes subject to mechanical pressure was found to be higher than their isotopic water permeability, according to expectation. These data have been examined from the standpoint of thermodynamic and kinetic theories of water flow in membranes and used to estimate the average size of membrane pores.

The formation and properties of thin lipid membranes from HK and LK sheep red cell lipids

Lipids were obtained from high potassium (HK) and low potassium (LK) sheep red cells by sequential extraction of the erythrocytes with isopropanol-chloroform, chloroform-methanol-0.1 M KCl, and chloroform. The extract contained cholesterol and phospholipid in a molar ratio of 0.8:1.0, and less than 1% protein contaminant. Stable thin lipid membranes separating two aqueous compartments were formed from an erythrocyte lipid-hydrocarbon solution, and had an electrical resistance of approximately 10(8) ohm-cm(2) and a capacitance of 0.38-0.4 microf/cm(2). From the capacitance values, membrane thickness was estimated to be 46-132 A, depending on the assumed value for the dielectric constant (2.0-4.5). Membrane voltage was recorded in the presence of ionic (NaCl and/or KCl) concentration gradients in the solutions bathing the membrane. The permeability of the membrane to Na(+), K(+), and Cl(-) (expressed as the transference number, T(ion)) was computed from the steady-state membrane voltage and the activity ratio of the ions in the compartments bathing the membrane. T(Na) and T(K) were approximately equal ( approximately 0.8) and considerably greater than T(Cl) ( approximately 0.2). The ionic transference numbers were independent of temperature, the hydrocarbon solvent, the osmolarity of the solutions bathing the membranes, and the cholesterol content of the membranes, over the range 21-38 degrees C. The high degree of membrane cation selectivity was tentatively attributed to the negatively charged phospholipids (phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine) present in the lipid extract.

Water permeability of thin lipid membranes

The osmotic permeability coefficient, P(f), and the tagged water permeability coefficient, P(d), were determined for thin (<100 A) lipid membranes formed from ox brain lipids plus DL-alpha-tocopherol; their value of approximately 1 x 10(-3) cm/sec is within the range reported for plasma membranes. It was established that P(f) = P(d). Other reports that P(f) > P(d) can be attributed to the presence of unstirred layers in the experimental determination of P(d). Thus, there is no evidence for the existence of aqueous pores in these thin phospholipid membranes. The adsorption onto the membrane of a protein that lowers its electrical resistance by a factor of 10(3) was found not to affect its water permeability; however, glucose and sucrose were found to interact with the membrane to modify P(f). Possible mechanisms of water transport across these films are discussed, together with the implications of data obtained on these structures for plasma membranes.