[Role of image force in a water pore of K+ channel in the channel permeability--nonlocal electrostatic effects]
Abstract:
A modified Parsegian formula for the calculation of the mage force in a water pore, which takes into account nonlocal electrostatic effects, has been applied to the analysis of changes in the permeability of K+ channels. It has been shown that the channel permeability increases 3 x 10(3) times as the width of the pore increases from 4 to 10 angstroms when the energy is calculated by the modified Parsegian formula and only 16 times if the classical Parsegian formula is used. We conclude that the image force in a water pore within K+ channels plays an important part in the change of channel permeability. Accounting for nonlocal electrostatic effects indicates that the permeability of the K+ channel is more strongly related to the size of the water pore than previously assumed by the original Parsegian formula.
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