Action of citrinin on liposomes.

Citrinin, a mycotoxin, was studied for its effect on artificial membranes (liposomes). Of the three (net positive, negative and neural) liposomal preparations tested, the membrane carrying a net positive charge was preferentially acted upon by citrinin and in this case even the lowest concentration was found to be sufficient for causing a high degree of damage. This is the first report of evidence that citrinin has a direct effect on membranes. It was shown to exhibit concentration dependency in its lytic activity on artificial membranes leading to leaching of trapped 45Ca2% ions.