Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism01:30

Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism

Ligand-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that play a vital role in intercellular communication and functions of the nervous system. They allow the influx of ions across the membrane once the neurotransmitter binds, allowing the subsequent transmission of electrical excitation across the neurons. Other ligand-gated ion channels, like the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor, permit anions like chloride into the cells on the binding of the GABA molecule. Their entry into the cell...
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.
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.
Ligand-gated Ion Channels01:19

Ligand-gated Ion Channels

Ligand-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins with a channel for ions to pass through and a binding site for a ligand. The channel opens only when a ligand attaches to the binding site.
Three Subfamilies of Ligand-gated Ion Channels
Ligand-gated ion channels fall into three subfamilies. The 'Cys-loop' includes the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors. The second one is the 'Pore-loop' channels that include the...
Ligand-gated Ion Channels01:19

Ligand-gated Ion Channels

Ligand-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins with a channel for ions to pass through and a binding site for a ligand. The channel opens only when a ligand attaches to the binding site.
Three Subfamilies of Ligand-gated Ion Channels
Ligand-gated ion channels fall into three subfamilies. The 'Cys-loop' includes the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors. The second one is the 'Pore-loop' channels that include the...
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...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Reduction of a kinetic model for Na^{+} channel activation, and fast and slow inactivation within a neural or cardiac membrane.

Physical review. E·2019
Same author

Derivation of Hodgkin-Huxley equations for a Na^{+} channel from a master equation for coupled activation and inactivation.

Physical review. E·2016
Same author

Voltage dependence of Hodgkin-Huxley rate functions for a multistage K^{+} channel voltage sensor within a membrane.

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2014
Same author

Voltage dependence of a stochastic model of activation of an alpha helical S4 sensor in a K channel membrane.

The Journal of chemical physics·2011
Same author

Stochastic diffusion model of multistep activation in a voltage-dependent K channel.

The Journal of chemical physics·2010
Same author

Nonlinear drift-diffusion model of gating in the fast Cl channel.

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2007
Same journal

Tension on dsDNA bound to ssDNA-RecA filaments may play an important role in driving efficient and accurate homology recognition and strand exchange.

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2016
Same journal

Publisher's Note: Amplitude-phase coupling drives chimera states in globally coupled laser networks [Phys. Rev. E 91, 040901(R) (2015)].

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2016
Same journal

Erratum: Shapes of sedimenting soft elastic capsules in a viscous fluid [Phys. Rev. E 92, 033003 (2015)].

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2016
Same journal

Erratum: Attenuation of excitation decay rate due to collective effect [Phys. Rev. E 90, 022142 (2014)].

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2016
Same journal

Publisher's Note: Role of connectivity and fluctuations in the nucleation of calcium waves in cardiac cells [Phys. Rev. E 92, 052715 (2015)].

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2016
Same journal

Publisher's Note: Lattice Boltzmann approach for complex nonequilibrium flows [Phys. Rev. E 92, 043308 (2015)].

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2016
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 25, 2026

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

Position-dependent stochastic diffusion model of ion channel gating.

S R Vaccaro1

  • 1Department of Physics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia. svaccaro@physics.adelaide.edu.au

Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics
|March 5, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study presents a stochastic diffusion model for ion channel gating, revealing that a large diffusion barrier between states allows for empirical rate equations. This advances understanding of ion channel dynamics.

More Related Videos

Dynamic Clamp Methods to Investigate Impaired Neuronal Excitability Associated with Autism
08:44

Dynamic Clamp Methods to Investigate Impaired Neuronal Excitability Associated with Autism

Published on: October 17, 2025

Measuring Nucleotide Binding to Intact, Functional Membrane Proteins in Real Time
08:33

Measuring Nucleotide Binding to Intact, Functional Membrane Proteins in Real Time

Published on: March 11, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 25, 2026

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

Dynamic Clamp Methods to Investigate Impaired Neuronal Excitability Associated with Autism
08:44

Dynamic Clamp Methods to Investigate Impaired Neuronal Excitability Associated with Autism

Published on: October 17, 2025

Measuring Nucleotide Binding to Intact, Functional Membrane Proteins in Real Time
08:33

Measuring Nucleotide Binding to Intact, Functional Membrane Proteins in Real Time

Published on: March 11, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Computational Neuroscience
  • Physical Chemistry

Background:

  • Ion channels are crucial for cellular electrical activity.
  • Understanding ion channel gating mechanisms is vital for pharmacology and physiology.
  • Existing models often simplify the complex dynamics of channel gating.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a position-dependent stochastic diffusion model for ion channel gating.
  • To investigate the influence of spatial variation in diffusion coefficients on channel dynamics.
  • To derive an empirical rate equation from the stochastic model under specific conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a stochastic diffusion model incorporating position-dependent diffusion coefficients.
  • Utilized coupled Fokker-Planck equations to describe sensor dynamics in closed and transition regions.
  • Employed analytical solutions and approximations for the lowest frequency relaxation dynamics.

Main Results:

  • The model considers spatial variations in diffusion coefficients for closed (Dc) and transition (Dm) states.
  • Analytical solutions can be approximated for short times post-voltage clamp when Dm << Dc or gammam is large.
  • An empirical rate equation for gating transitions is derivable from the stochastic model.

Conclusions:

  • A large diffusion or potential barrier between open and closed states is key for deriving empirical rate equations.
  • The developed model provides a more detailed framework for understanding ion channel gating.
  • This work bridges the gap between microscopic diffusion processes and macroscopic gating kinetics.