Cation permeability induced by two aromatic heptaenes, vacidin A and candicidin D on phospholipid unilamellar vesicles.

The cationic permeability induced by two aromatic heptaenes, vacidin A and candicidin D, has been studied on egg yolk L-alpha-phosphatidylcholine single walled vesicles as a function of cholesterol and ergosterol concentration. For comparison amphotericin B and nystatin were also tested. Vacidin A and candicidin D elicit cation permeability in both types of vesicles in the same concentration ranges and exhibit only quantitative differences in cholesterol and ergosterol vesicles. The active concentration range is of the same order of magnitude as the active concentration range of amphotericin B, at variance with what is obtained on biological cells. This difference is interpreted in term of mechanism of action of polyene on both biological and model membranes.