Figure 2.

Interaction of animal-harvested anthrax toxin with artificial lipid bilayer membranes. (a) The I–V relationship of anthrax toxin was initially strongly rectifying (•). The degree of rectification decreased with increasing time after sample addition (10 min (□), and 90 min (▵). Inset: schematic illustration of LF bound to a PA₆₃ channel in an artificial lipid bilayer membrane. (b) Ionic current time series recordings and video micrographs (inset) at V = 180 mV demonstrate that anthrax toxin harvested from infected rabbits causes the membrane to become unstable and eventually rupture (†). The grey rods in the micrographs are Ag/AgCl electrodes, and the solutions contained 100 mM KCl, 5 mM MES at pH 7.2. Capsule material was present in the isolated fractions of anthrax toxin.