Ion Channel Mimics

In spite of the overwhelming importance of the channel mechanism for the transport of alkali and alkaline earth metal ions in biological systems, only carrier transport has been studied extensively by chemists. Studies on ion channel mimics of simple structures have long been limited to antibiotic families of gramicidin, amphotericin B, and others. Several pioneers have reported successful preparation of non-peptide artificial channels. However, their claims have been based on kinetic characteristics observed for the release of metal ions through liposomal membrane and lacked the very critical proofs of channel formation. Such a situation was... 

Figure 12.14 Schematic diagram of the hydraphile family of ion channel mimics.

Fyles TM, lames TD, Kaye KC (1993) Activities and modes of action of artificial ion-channel mimics. 1 Am Chem Soc 115 12315-12321... 

In an extension of bolaphilic architecture, Fyles et al.38 have assembled an ion channel mimic (Figure 12), from what they have termed a modular construction set (Figure 13). Twenty one ion channels were... 

Fyles et al.39 described their results concerning the transport of alkali metal cations across vesicle bilayers mediated by these ion channels mimics. The relative activities of their most active transports were comparable to valinomycin but were 2- to 20-fold less active than gramicidin. Six examples in their modular series effectively acted as channels four in this series acted as cation carriers. The range of observed transport activities, selectivities, and mechanism indicates that structural regulation of synthetic ion channel mimics is possible with this family of bolaphiles.38... 

---