Large and stable transmembrane pores from guanosine-bile acid conjugates

We report that a ditopic guanosine-lithocholic acid conjugate forms discrete channels in planar phospholipid membranes. These pores are large, with nanoSiemens conductance levels, and stable, with open times of seconds, distinguishing them from most synthetic channels, which typically conduct in the picosiemens range with millisecond lifetimes. We propose that these large pores are due to the formation of G4-quartet based superstructures within the membrane.