Photosensitized electron transport across lipid vesicle walls: Enhancement of quantum yield by ionophores and transmembrane potentials.

The photosensitized reduction of heptylviologen in the bulk aqueous phase of phosphatidylcholine vesicles containing EDTA inside and a membrane-bound tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(2+) derivative is enhanced by a factor of 6.5 by the addition of valinomycin in the presence of K(+). A 3-fold stimulation by gramicidin and carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone is observed. The results suggest that, under these conditions, the rate of photoinduced electron transfer across vesicle walls in the absence of ion carriers is limited by cotransport of cations. The rate of electron transfer across vesicle walls could be influenced further by generating transmembrane potentials with K(+) gradients in the presence of valinomycin. When vesicles are made with transmembrane potentials, interior more negative, the quantum yield of heptylviologen reduction is doubled, and, conversely, when vesicles are made with transmembrane potentials, interior more positive, the quantum yield is decreased and approaches the value found in the absence of valinomycin.