Figure 3. Reversibility of the highly permeable non-lytic membrane state which occurs at high cyt c concentrations.

Microscopy and cartoon images are shown in the top panels; for clarity, the cartoons show the droplet configurations seen in the images. Current (bottom panels) across the intact bilayer can be halted by physically separating the droplets. Current is reestablished (to the overloading level) when the droplets are brought back together to reform the permeable bilayer. Buffer: 200 mM KCl, 10 mM MOPS, pH 7.4; membrane composition: DPhPC/chol/CL  = 60%/25%/15%; cyt c: 25.4 µM; voltage clamp: −50 mV.