ION CHANNELS INDUCED BY SOME MYCOTOXINS IN LIPID BILAYER-MEMBRANES

Planar lipid bilayers made of asolectin were used to investigate whether or not mycotoxins (Verrucarine A, Roridin H, DON, F-2 and Zearalenone) might be able to influence the permeability of the lipid moiety of biomembranes. All toxins with the exception of DON were found to be able to induce ion channels in the lipid bilayer when added at concentrations ranging between 1 and 6 mu g/ml to the aqueous solution on one side of the membrane. This was taken as evidence that at least certain mycotoxins might exert their toxic activity by depolarizing the affected biomembranes.