The push-to-open mechanism of the tethered mechanosensitive ion channel NompC.

ABSTRACT: NompC is a mechanosensitive ion channel responsible for the sensation of touch and balance in Drosophila melanogaster. Based on a resolved cryo-EM structure, we performed all-atom molecular dynamics simulations and electrophysiological experiments to study the atomistic details of NompC gating. Our results showed that NompC could be opened by compression of the intracellular ankyrin repeat domain but not by a stretch, and a number of hydrogen bonds along the force convey pathway are important for the mechanosensitivity. Under intracellular compression, the bundled ankyrin repeat region acts like a spring with a spring constant of ~13 pN nm^-1 by transferring forces at a rate of ~1.8 nm ps^-1. The linker helix region acts as a bridge between the ankyrin repeats an

SUBMITTER: Wang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8186909 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature