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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...
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...
Electrochemical Gradient and Channel Proteins: An Overview01:21

Electrochemical Gradient and Channel Proteins: An Overview

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:
The electrical gradient: The electrical gradient across cell membranes refers to the difference in electric charge between the inside and outside of a cell.  This difference drives the movement of ions towards or away from the cells. For instance, if the inside of the cell is more negatively charged relative to 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...
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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Mutagenesis and Functional Analysis of Ion Channels Heterologously Expressed in Mammalian Cells
15:28

Mutagenesis and Functional Analysis of Ion Channels Heterologously Expressed in Mammalian Cells

Published on: October 1, 2010

Searching for interesting channels: pairing selection and molecular evolution methods to study ion channel structure

Daniel L Minor1

  • 1Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Cardiovascular Research Institute, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158-2330, USA. daniel.minor@ucsf.edu

Molecular Biosystems
|July 16, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Selection and screening methods combined with random libraries offer powerful tools for studying biological molecules. These approaches are increasingly used in ion channel research to understand structure, gating, and develop new therapeutic agents.

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Mutagenesis and Functional Analysis of Ion Channels Heterologously Expressed in Mammalian Cells
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Published on: October 1, 2010

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13:07

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Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Randomly mutated libraries coupled with selection and screening are potent tools for biological molecule functional analysis.
  • These methodologies are increasingly applied in ion channel research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the application of selection and screening with random libraries in the ion channel field.
  • To uncover fundamental aspects of ion channel structure and gating.
  • To investigate small molecule-channel interactions and develop novel channel-modulating agents.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing random libraries of peptides and oligonucleotides.
  • Employing selection and screening techniques.
  • Applying these methods to study ion channel properties.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated the power of selection and screening with random libraries for probing biological molecule functions.
  • Showcased the growing adoption of these methods in ion channel research.
  • Highlighted their utility in understanding ion channel structure, gating, and interactions.

Conclusions:

  • Selection and screening of random libraries provide a powerful strategy for advancing ion channel biology.
  • These approaches facilitate the discovery of novel insights into channel mechanisms.
  • They are instrumental in developing new therapeutic agents targeting ion channel activity.