BK channels: multiple sensors, one activation gate
Ion transport across cell membranes is essential to cell communication and signaling. Passive ion transport is mediated by ion channels, membrane proteins that create ion conducting pores across cell membrane to allow ion flux down electrochemical gradient. Under physiological conditions, majority o...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2015-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Physiology |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fphys.2015.00029/full |
| _version_ | 1819267668813807616 |
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| author | Huanghe eYang Guohui eZhang Jianmin eCui |
| author_facet | Huanghe eYang Guohui eZhang Jianmin eCui |
| author_sort | Huanghe eYang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ion transport across cell membranes is essential to cell communication and signaling. Passive ion transport is mediated by ion channels, membrane proteins that create ion conducting pores across cell membrane to allow ion flux down electrochemical gradient. Under physiological conditions, majority of ion channel pores are not constitutively open. Instead, structural region(s) within these pores breaks the continuity of the aqueous ion pathway, thereby serves as activation gate(s) to control ions flow in and out. To achieve spatially and temporally regulated ion flux in cells, many ion channels have evolved sensors to detect various environmental stimuli or the metabolic states of the cell and trigger global conformational changes, thereby dynamically operate the opening and closing of their activation gate. The sensors of ion channels can be broadly categorized as chemical sensors and physical sensors to respond to chemical (such as neural transmitters, nucleotides and ions) and physical (such as voltage, mechanical force and temperature) signals, respectively. With the rapidly growing structural and functional information of different types of ion channels, it is now critical to understand how ion channel sensors dynamically control their gates at molecular and atomic level. The voltage and Ca2+ activated BK channels, a K+ channel with an electrical sensor and multiple chemical sensors, provide a unique model system for us to understand how physical and chemical energy synergistically operate its activation gate. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T21:20:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-89b52f522da4482aab2f21d6b90faec9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-042X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T21:20:50Z |
| publishDate | 2015-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Physiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-89b52f522da4482aab2f21d6b90faec92022-12-21T17:30:46ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Physiology1664-042X2015-02-01610.3389/fphys.2015.00029133183BK channels: multiple sensors, one activation gateHuanghe eYang0Guohui eZhang1Jianmin eCui2Duke UniversityWashington University in St. LouisWashington University in St. LouisIon transport across cell membranes is essential to cell communication and signaling. Passive ion transport is mediated by ion channels, membrane proteins that create ion conducting pores across cell membrane to allow ion flux down electrochemical gradient. Under physiological conditions, majority of ion channel pores are not constitutively open. Instead, structural region(s) within these pores breaks the continuity of the aqueous ion pathway, thereby serves as activation gate(s) to control ions flow in and out. To achieve spatially and temporally regulated ion flux in cells, many ion channels have evolved sensors to detect various environmental stimuli or the metabolic states of the cell and trigger global conformational changes, thereby dynamically operate the opening and closing of their activation gate. The sensors of ion channels can be broadly categorized as chemical sensors and physical sensors to respond to chemical (such as neural transmitters, nucleotides and ions) and physical (such as voltage, mechanical force and temperature) signals, respectively. With the rapidly growing structural and functional information of different types of ion channels, it is now critical to understand how ion channel sensors dynamically control their gates at molecular and atomic level. The voltage and Ca2+ activated BK channels, a K+ channel with an electrical sensor and multiple chemical sensors, provide a unique model system for us to understand how physical and chemical energy synergistically operate its activation gate.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fphys.2015.00029/fullIon Channel GatingPotassium ChannelsBK channelscalcium binding proteinsmodular organizationion permeation |
| spellingShingle | Huanghe eYang Guohui eZhang Jianmin eCui BK channels: multiple sensors, one activation gate Frontiers in Physiology Ion Channel Gating Potassium Channels BK channels calcium binding proteins modular organization ion permeation |
| title | BK channels: multiple sensors, one activation gate |
| title_full | BK channels: multiple sensors, one activation gate |
| title_fullStr | BK channels: multiple sensors, one activation gate |
| title_full_unstemmed | BK channels: multiple sensors, one activation gate |
| title_short | BK channels: multiple sensors, one activation gate |
| title_sort | bk channels multiple sensors one activation gate |
| topic | Ion Channel Gating Potassium Channels BK channels calcium binding proteins modular organization ion permeation |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fphys.2015.00029/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT huangheeyang bkchannelsmultiplesensorsoneactivationgate AT guohuiezhang bkchannelsmultiplesensorsoneactivationgate AT jianminecui bkchannelsmultiplesensorsoneactivationgate |