In vitro Assay to Evaluate Cation Transport of Ionophores
Huriye Huriye D. Uzun,
Melissa Vázquez-Hernández,
Julia Bandow,
Thomas Günther Pomorski
Affiliations
Huriye Huriye D. Uzun
Department of Molecular Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, GermanyDepartment of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
Melissa Vázquez-Hernández
Applied Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
Julia Bandow
Applied Microbiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
Thomas Günther Pomorski
Department of Molecular Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, GermanyDepartment of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
Ion homeostasis is a fundamental regulator of cellular processes and depends upon lipid membranes, which function as ion permeability barriers. Ionophores facilitate ion transport across cell membranes and offer a way to manipulate cellular ion composition. Here, we describe a calcein quenching assay based on large unilamellar vesicles that we used to evaluate divalent cation transport of the ionophore 4-Br-A23187. This assay can be used to study metal transport by ionophores and membrane proteins, under well-defined conditions.Graphical abstract:
