Mechanism of anionic conduction across ClC.

ABSTRACT: ClC chloride channels are voltage-gated transmembrane proteins that have been associated with a wide range of regulatory roles in vertebrates. To accomplish their function, they allow small inorganic anions to efficiently pass through, while blocking the passage of all other particles. Understanding the conduction mechanism of ClC has been the subject of many experimental investigations, but until now, the detailed dynamic mechanism was not known despite the availability of crystallographic structures. We investigate Cl(-) conduction by means of an all-atom molecular dynamics simulation of the ClC channel in a membrane environment. Based on our simulation results, we propose a king-of-the-hill mechanism for permeation, in which a lone ion bound to the center of the ClC pore is pushed out b

SUBMITTER: Cohen J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1303931 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature