Hydrophobic gating in BK channels

Zhiguang Jia; Mahdieh Yazdani; Guohui Zhang; Jianmin Cui; Jianhan Chen

doi:10.1038/s41467-018-05970-3

Nature Communications (Aug 2018)

Hydrophobic gating in BK channels

Zhiguang Jia,
Mahdieh Yazdani,
Guohui Zhang,
Jianmin Cui,
Jianhan Chen

Affiliations

Zhiguang Jia: Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts
Mahdieh Yazdani: Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts
Guohui Zhang: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University
Jianmin Cui: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for the Investigation of Membrane Excitability Disorders, Cardiac Bioelectricity and Arrhythmia Center, Washington University
Jianhan Chen: Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-05970-3
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 9, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

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BK channels are regulated by membrane voltage and intracellular Ca2+ but the structural features that block the ion flow in the closed state remain unknown. Here authors use molecular dynamics simulation and show that a physical gate is not required; instead ion flow is regulated by hydrophobic dewetting due to changes in pore shape and surface hydrophobicity.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

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