351. Effect of taste substances on electric characteristics of a lipid cast membrane with a single pore
- Author
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T. Yoshida, Norimasa Ozaki, Kiyoshi Toko, Kenshi Hayashi, K. Yamafuji, Satoru Iiyama, and Naotoshi Nakashima
- Subjects
chemistry.chemical_classification ,Chromatography ,Sodium ,General Engineering ,chemistry.chemical_element ,Salt (chemistry) ,Picric acid ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Membrane ,Chemical engineering ,chemistry ,Membrane fluidity ,Semipermeable membrane ,Lipid bilayer phase behavior ,Lipid bilayer - Abstract
The effect of taste substances was investigated for a lipid membrane constructed by casting complexes of synthetic lipid (double-chain ammonium salt) and sodium polystyrenesulfonate on a silicon wafer with a single minute pore. Reproducibility of the electric properties was improved remarkably by the use of the present construction method for the lipid membrane. It was found that this membrane showed a sensitive response to negatively-charged chemicals having strong bitterness such as picric acid because the lipids are positively charged. A membrane with non-equimolar lipid-polymer complexes showed a phase separation between two phases composed of liquid-crystal lipid multi-bilayers and crystal lipid-polymers within a limited temperature range. This membrane in the phase-separation state generated a self-sustained electric oscillation, whose mechanism was explained with the aid of a non-equilibrium theory. The waveform of the oscillation changed by using picric acid on the membrane. This bio-mimetic membrane has the possibility of acting as a biological chemoreceptor.
- Published
- 1989