Tolaasin Forms Various Types of Ion Channels in Lipid Bilayer

Tolaasin is a channel forming bacterial toxin produced by Pseudomonas tolaasii and causes a brown blotch disease on cultivated oyster mushrooms. When tolaasin molecules form channels in the membranes of mushroom cells, they destroy cellular membrane structure, known as 'colloid osmotic lysis'. In order to understand the molecular mechanisms forming membrane channels by tolaasin molecules, we have investigated the electrophysiological characteristics of tolaasin-induced channels in lipid bilayer.(omitted)