Characterization of chlortetracycline (aureomycin) as a calcium ionophore

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Abstract
The antibiotic chlortetracycline (aureomycin) is a potent and specific Ca ionophore. The molecule extracts Ca from an aqueous environment into a bulk organic phase in a pH-dependent manner and with a stoichiometry indicative of a 1:1 complex. The antibiotic has little affinity for other alkaline earth ions or alkali metal ions in this system. The ionophore transports Ca from one aqueous phase to another across an organic solvent barrier and induces a flux of Ca into multilamellar vesicles. The potential use of the compound in examining the role of Ca in the modulation of cellular function is discussed.