Components required for membrane assembly of newly synthesized K+ channel KcsA
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 2, 2026

Reconstitution of a Kv Channel into Lipid Membranes for Structural and Functional Studies
Published on: July 13, 2013
Annemieke van Dalen1, Martin van der Laan, Arnold J M Driessen
1Department of Biochemistry of Membranes, Centre for Biomembranes and Lipid Enzymology, Institute of Biomembranes, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. a.vandalen@chem.uu.nl
Abstract:
An Escherichia coli in vitro transcription-translation system was used to study the components involved in the biogenesis of the homotetrameric potassium channel KcsA. We show that a functional signal recognition particle pathway is essential for tetramer formation, probably to direct correct monomer insertion in the membrane. In the absence of YidC or at reduced SecYEG levels, KcsA assembly occurs with lower efficiency. Strikingly, the highest efficiency of tetramerization was observed when transcription-translation was carried out in the presence of pure lipid vesicles, demonstrating that a phospholipid bilayer is the minimal membrane requirement to form the KcsA tetramer. It is concluded that SecYEG and YidC are not required for the formation of tetrameric KcsA in vitro.
More Related Videos
12:26Functional Site-Directed Fluorometry in Native Cells to Study Skeletal Muscle Excitability
Published on: June 2, 2023
11:42Reconstitution of a Transmembrane Protein, the Voltage-gated Ion Channel, KvAP, into Giant Unilamellar Vesicles for Microscopy and Patch Clamp Studies
Published on: January 22, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Assembly of Signaling Complexes
Interaction domains in cell signaling
Interaction domains recognize exposed features of their binding partners containing post-translationally modified sequences,...
Coat Assembly and GTPases
Coat assembly depends on the local availability of phosphatidylinositol phosphates or PIPs and GTP-binding proteins. Adaptor proteins, which link the coat proteins to the membrane, bind to these PIPs and play a crucial role in controlling...
Clathrin Coated Vesicles
Fusion of Secretory Vesicles with the Plasma Membrane
In 1993, Jim Rothman proposed that the antiparallel pairing of vesicular and transmembrane SNAREs, or...
Structure of Porins
Voltage-gated Ion Channels
Generally, all voltage-gated ion channels have a 'voltage-sensing domain' that spans the lipid bilayer. The charged residues in the sensor move in response to the membrane potential changes that open the channel allowing ions movement. There are several types of...