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Related Concept Videos

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Mechanisms of Membrane-bending

The living membranes are flexible due to their fluid mosaic nature; however, their bending into different shapes is an active process regulated by specific lipids and proteins. The membrane bending can be transient as seen in vesicles or stable for a long time as in microvilli. Cells regulate the size, location, and duration of the membrane curvature.
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Mechanically-gated ion channels are proteins found in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell membranes that open in response to mechanical stress. Tension, compression, swelling, and shear stress can alter the conformation of the protein, opening a transmembrane channel that allows the passage of ions for signal transmission. In eukaryotes, mechanically-gated channels are distributed in several regions like the neurons, lungs, skin, bladder, and heart, where they play critical roles in numerous...
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An electrochemical gradient is a fundamental concept in biology and chemistry. It regulates the movement of ions across cell membranes. This movement is influenced by two factors:
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Measuring the Induced Membrane Voltage with Di-8-ANEPPS
05:52

Measuring the Induced Membrane Voltage with Di-8-ANEPPS

Published on: November 20, 2009

How membrane proteins sense voltage.

Francisco Bezanilla1

  • 1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, 929 East 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA. fbezanilla@uchicago.edu

Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology
|March 21, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cell membrane voltage, generated by ionic gradients, controls protein functions. Understanding diverse voltage-sensing mechanisms in proteins like ion channels and pumps could reveal new voltage-regulated proteins.

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Last Updated: Jun 23, 2026

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Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Physiology

Background:

  • Ionic gradients across cell membranes establish a transmembrane voltage.
  • This voltage is crucial for regulating the function of various membrane proteins, including ion channels, transporters, pumps, and enzymes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the diverse mechanisms by which membrane proteins sense voltage.
  • To identify general features of voltage sensors for discovering novel voltage-regulated proteins.

Main Methods:

  • Review and characterization of known voltage-sensing mechanisms in different protein families.
  • Comparative analysis of structural and functional properties of identified voltage sensors.

Main Results:

  • Ion channels utilize conserved, charged transmembrane regions that move with membrane potential changes.
  • Some G-protein coupled receptors possess specific voltage-sensing motifs.
  • Certain membrane pumps and transporters employ transported ions for voltage sensing.

Conclusions:

  • Voltage sensing in membrane proteins involves diverse molecular strategies.
  • Characterizing these general features may facilitate the discovery of additional voltage-regulated membrane proteins.