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Updated: Dec 8, 2025

A Proteoliposome-Based Efflux Assay to Determine Single-molecule Properties of Cl- Channels and Transporters
Published on: April 20, 2015
Switchable foldamer ion channels with antibacterial activity
Anna D Peters1,2, Stefan Borsley1,3, Flavio Della Sala1,2
1Department of Chemistry , University of Manchester , Oxford Road , Manchester M13 9PL , UK .
Abstract:
Synthetic ion channels may have applications in treating channelopathies and as new classes of antibiotics, particularly if ion flow through the channels can be controlled. Here we describe triazole-capped octameric α-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) foldamers that "switch on" ion channel activity in phospholipid bilayers upon copper(ii) chloride addition; activity is "switched off" upon copper(ii) extraction. X-ray crystallography showed that CuCl2 complexation gave chloro-bridged foldamer dimers, with hydrogen bonds between dimers producing channels within the crystal structure. These interactions suggest a pathway for foldamer self-assembly into membrane ion channels. The copper(ii)-foldamer complexes showed antibacterial activity against B. megaterium strain DSM319 that was similar to the peptaibol antibiotic alamethicin, but with 90% lower hemolytic activity.
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