Amino Acid Sequence HCO-X-Gly-L-Ala-D-Leu-L-Ala-D-Val-L-Val-D-Val-L-Trp-D-Leu-L-Trp-D-Leu-L-Trp-D-Leu-L-Trp-NHCH2CH2OH Biochem/physiol Actions Gramicidin A is a polypeptide antibiotic that forms single ion monovalent cation channels in biological membranes. Gramicidin A increases the permeability of bacterial cell membranes which allows inorganic monovalent cations to travel through unrestricted. This destroys the ion gradient between the cytoplasm and the extracellular environment 4. Application Gramicidin A is a linear pentadecapeptide antibiotic which is used for studies on bacterial cell wall permeabilization and monovalent cation channel formation. Gramicidin has also been shown to inhibit transcription of T7 phage DNA, inhibit membrane-bound epidennal adenosine triphosphatase, suppress human lymphocyte blastogenesis in vitro and prolong heart allograft survival in the rat model 1,2,3. |