Evidence of xenon transport through the gramicidin channel: a 129Xe-NMR study.

Evidence is presented for Xe transport through the gramicidin A channel. This evidence for Xe transport through gramicidin A channels has been obtained using 129Xe-NMR spectroscopy. Three experiments were utilized. The first experiment involved monitoring the change in the chemical shift of 129Xe in the presence of increasing gramicidin A concentration, the second observed the effect on the 129Xe chemical shift with gramicidin A channels photochemically altered by UV light and the third determined the effect of gramicidin A channels blocked by Ba2+ on the 129Xe chemical shift. The results of these three experiments indicate that Xe transports through the gramicidin A channel.