Ion-diffusion potentials and electrical rectification across lipid membranes activated by excitation-induced material.

Membranes synthesized from sphingomyelin-tocopherol mixtures and treated with the protein, "excitation-inducing material," to increase their electrical conductance were tested for applicability of the Nernst equation and changes in electrical rectifying behavior with temperature. Above pH 7, and in the temperature range 303-323 degrees K, ion-diffusion potentials created by salts of monovalent cations showed that areas of the membrane activated by excitation-inducing material were only permeable to cations. Results also indicated that a parallel current with an activation energy of 1.