Stabilization of the conductive conformation of a voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channel: the lid mechanism.

ABSTRACT: Voltage-gated K(+) (Kv) channels are molecular switches that sense membrane potential and in response open to allow K(+) ions to diffuse out of the cell. In these proteins, sensor and pore belong to two distinct structural modules. We previously showed that the pore module alone is a robust yet dynamic structural unit in lipid membranes and that it senses potential and gates open to conduct K(+) with unchanged fidelity. The implication is that the voltage sensitivity of K(+) channels is not solely encoded in the sensor. Given that the coupling between sensor and pore remains elusive, we asked whether it is then possible to convert a pore module characterized by brief openings into a conductor with a prolonged lifetime in the open state. The strategy involves selected probes targeted to the

SUBMITTER: Santos JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3675597 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature