Modular Design of the Selectivity Filter Pore Loop in a Novel Family of Prokaryotic 'Inward Rectifier' (NirBac) channels.

ABSTRACT: Potassium channels exhibit a modular design with distinct structural and functional domains; in particular, a highly conserved pore-loop sequence that determines their ionic selectivity. We now report the functional characterisation of a novel group of functionally non-selective members of the prokaryotic 'inward rectifier' subfamily of K(+) channels. These channels share all the key structural domains of eukaryotic and prokaryotic Kir/KirBac channels, but instead possess unique pore-loop selectivity filter sequences unrelated to any other known ionic selectivity filter. The strikingly unusual architecture of these 'NirBac' channels defines a new family of functionally non-selective ion channels, and also provides important insights into the modular design of ion channels, as well as the e

SUBMITTER: Zubcevic L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4607889 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature