Conformational changes of an ion-channel during gating and emerging electrophysiologic properties: Application of a computational approach to cardiac Kv7.1.

ABSTRACT: Ion channels are the "building blocks" of the excitation process in excitable tissues. Despite advances in determining their molecular structure, understanding the relationship between channel protein structure and electrical excitation remains a challenge. The Kv7.1 potassium channel is an important determinant of the cardiac action potential and its adaptation to rate changes. It is subject to beta adrenergic regulation, and many mutations in the channel protein are associated with the arrhythmic long QT syndrome. In this theoretical study, we use a novel computational approach to simulate the conformational changes that Kv7.1 undergoes during activation gating and compute the resulting electrophysiologic function in terms of single-channel and macroscopic currents. We generated all poss

SUBMITTER: Nekouzadeh A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4955398 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature