▁first ▁poly ether ▁ant ib i otic ▁to ▁have ▁its ▁structure ▁el uc id ated ▁in ▁this ▁way . ▁The ▁first ▁total ▁synth esis ▁of ▁mon ens in ▁was ▁reported ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁by ▁K ishi ▁et ▁al . ▁ ▁Mechan ism ▁of ▁action ▁ ▁Mon ens in ▁A ▁is ▁an ▁ion oph ore ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁crown ▁eth ers ▁with ▁a ▁preference ▁to ▁form ▁complex es ▁with ▁mon oval ent ▁c ations ▁such ▁as : ▁Li + , ▁Na + , ▁K + , ▁R b + , ▁Ag + , ▁and ▁Ti + . ▁Mon ens in ▁A ▁is ▁able ▁to ▁transport ▁these ▁c ations ▁across ▁li pid ▁memb ran es ▁of ▁cells ▁in ▁an ▁elect r one ut ral ▁( i . e . ▁non - dep olar izing ) ▁exchange , ▁playing ▁an ▁important ▁role ▁as ▁an ▁Na + / H + ▁ant ip orter . ▁Rec ent ▁studies ▁have ▁shown ▁that ▁mon ens in ▁may ▁transport ▁sod ium ▁ion ▁through ▁the ▁memb rane ▁in ▁both ▁electro gen ic ▁and ▁elect r one ut ral ▁manner . ▁This ▁approach ▁explains ▁ion op hor ic ▁ability ▁and ▁in ▁consequence ▁ant ib acter ial ▁properties ▁of ▁not ▁only ▁parent al ▁mon ens in , ▁but ▁also ▁its ▁derivatives ▁that ▁do ▁not ▁possess ▁car box y lic ▁groups . ▁It ▁blocks ▁int rac ell ular ▁protein ▁transport , ▁and ▁exhib its ▁ant ib i otic , ▁ant imal arial , ▁and ▁other ▁bi ological ▁activities . ▁The ▁ant ib