Fig. 5: MscL-mediated bilayer communication in DIB networks.
From: Membrane protein mediated bilayer communication in networks of droplet interface bilayers
Three droplet DIB networks were formed with MTSET in the first droplet and MscL vesicles in the second and third as highlighted in the schematic. As lipid bilayers are impermeable to the free diffusion of MTSET, the only route for network activation is for passive diffusion through the open channel and across the adjacent droplet to activate MscL in the second membrane. The time taken for this to take place is reflected in the equivalent circuit through the addition of an extra resistor labelled GDiff (this is not intended to indicate a further reduction in the bilayer current). A representative 30-min bilayer current recording shows a short burst of activity at ~6 min and more significant activity from 20 min onward. The indicated regions of the trace are magnified in the 1 s segments shown in a–c. The zooms shows a brief ~7 pA burst of activity in a, a similar ~7 pA burst of activity in b and two brief ~24 pA opening and closing events in c that lead to the channel being held open. The histograms supplied with each trace reflect the different open states observed in the recordings and emphasize the low number of open events in a, b.
