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Related Concept Videos

Ion Channels01:19

Ion Channels

The movement of ions like sodium, potassium, and calcium into and out of the cell is essential to maintain the electrochemical gradient in living cells. The ion channels—a class of membrane transport proteins—help maintain this ionic gradient for the smooth functioning of physiological activities such as maintaining cell size and volume, conducting nerve impulses, and gas and nutrient exchange.
Ion channels are specialized integral membrane proteins on the plasma membrane that allow specific...
Voltage-gated Ion Channels01:26

Voltage-gated Ion Channels

Voltage-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that open and close in response to changes in the membrane potential. They are present on the membranes of all electrically excitable cells such as neurons, heart, and muscle cells.
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...
Voltage-gated Ion Channels01:26

Voltage-gated Ion Channels

Voltage-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that open and close in response to changes in the membrane potential. They are present on the membranes of all electrically excitable cells such as neurons, heart, and muscle cells.
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...
Mechanically-gated Ion Channels01:12

Mechanically-gated Ion Channels

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...
Mechanically-gated Ion Channels01:12

Mechanically-gated Ion Channels

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...
Non-gated Ion Channels01:24

Non-gated Ion Channels

Ion channels are specialized proteins on the plasma membrane that allow charged ions to pass down their electrochemical gradient. Their main function is to maintain the membrane potential which is critical for cell viability. These channels are either gated or non-gated and can transport more than a thousand ions within milliseconds for the cellular event to occur.
Compared to the gated ion channels, the non-gated channels, also known as leakage or passive channels, have no gating mechanism.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Single-Molecule Imaging of Lateral Mobility and Ion Channel Activity in Lipid Bilayers using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) Microscopy
08:55

Single-Molecule Imaging of Lateral Mobility and Ion Channel Activity in Lipid Bilayers using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) Microscopy

Published on: February 17, 2023

Visualizing ion channel dynamics at the plasma membrane.

James W Smyth1, Robin M Shaw

  • 1Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.

Heart Rhythm
|May 28, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cardiac ion channel dynamics are crucial for function. New microscopy techniques allow researchers to visualize ion channel trafficking and understand their movement within cells.

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Recapitulation of an Ion Channel IV Curve Using Frequency Components
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Recapitulation of an Ion Channel IV Curve Using Frequency Components

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Patch Clamp and Perfusion Techniques for Studying Ion Channels Expressed in Xenopus oocytes

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Last Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Single-Molecule Imaging of Lateral Mobility and Ion Channel Activity in Lipid Bilayers using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) Microscopy
08:55

Single-Molecule Imaging of Lateral Mobility and Ion Channel Activity in Lipid Bilayers using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) Microscopy

Published on: February 17, 2023

Recapitulation of an Ion Channel IV Curve Using Frequency Components
10:14

Recapitulation of an Ion Channel IV Curve Using Frequency Components

Published on: February 8, 2011

Patch Clamp and Perfusion Techniques for Studying Ion Channels Expressed in Xenopus oocytes
10:19

Patch Clamp and Perfusion Techniques for Studying Ion Channels Expressed in Xenopus oocytes

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Cardiac ion channels undergo continuous formation, trafficking, membrane insertion, and degradation/recycling.
  • Ion channel function depends on both biophysical properties and dynamic trafficking processes.
  • Understanding channel trafficking is essential for comprehending overall ion channel availability and function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present methods for studying ion channel trafficking using fluorescent and nonfluorescent fusion proteins.
  • To detail techniques for cloning, expression, and live-cell imaging of fusion proteins in mammalian cells.
  • To illustrate these approaches with data on connexin 43-green fluorescent protein trafficking.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing fluorescent and nonfluorescent fusion proteins to tag ion channels.
  • Employing molecular techniques for cloning and expression in mammalian cell lines.
  • Applying advanced live-cell high-resolution microscopy, including total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy.
  • Establishing stable cell lines with inducible protein expression.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated the creation of a stable cell line for inducible expression of connexin 43 tagged to green fluorescent protein.
  • Visualized the distribution of connexin 43-green fluorescent protein using wide-field epifluorescence and TIRF microscopy.
  • Provided original data illustrating the application of these techniques.

Conclusions:

  • Revolutionary advances in fluorescence microscopy are enabling new insights into ion channel trafficking mechanisms.
  • Ion channel biologists can now explore the dynamic movement and localization of channels with unprecedented resolution.
  • This research opens a new frontier in understanding ion channel function through the study of trafficking.