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Related Concept Videos

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...
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...
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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Application of Electrophysiology Measurement to Study the Activity of Electro-Neutral Transporters
11:51

Application of Electrophysiology Measurement to Study the Activity of Electro-Neutral Transporters

Published on: February 3, 2018

Examining ion channel properties using free-energy methods.

Carmen Domene1, Simone Furini

  • 1Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Methods in Enzymology
|May 26, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Free energy (FE) calculations using computational simulations offer a powerful way to understand protein function. Accurate FE calculations are crucial for interpreting experimental results in biophysics and ion channel research.

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Purification and Reconstitution of TRPV1 for Spectroscopic Analysis
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Purification and Reconstitution of TRPV1 for Spectroscopic Analysis

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

Published on: October 1, 2010

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Application of Electrophysiology Measurement to Study the Activity of Electro-Neutral Transporters
11:51

Application of Electrophysiology Measurement to Study the Activity of Electro-Neutral Transporters

Published on: February 3, 2018

Purification and Reconstitution of TRPV1 for Spectroscopic Analysis
11:53

Purification and Reconstitution of TRPV1 for Spectroscopic Analysis

Published on: July 3, 2018

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

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Computational Biology
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • Recent structural biology advances provide atomistic detail of transmembrane channels.
  • Computational simulations are vital for investigating dynamic and energetic properties of these protein architectures.
  • Understanding free energy (FE) is crucial as it determines experimentally observable properties.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an overview of widely implemented computational methods for calculating FE.
  • To highlight recent applications of FE calculations to ion channels.
  • To emphasize the importance of accurate sampling and potential energy representation in FE calculations.

Main Methods:

  • Computational simulations
  • Free energy (FE) calculation methods
  • Molecular force fields

Main Results:

  • FE calculations, when applied correctly, serve as predictive and affordable computational tools.
  • Accurate sampling of energy landscapes and potential energy representations are critical for FE evaluation.
  • The choice of FE calculation method and simulation protocol is crucial for efficiency.

Conclusions:

  • Computational methods for FE calculation are essential for understanding protein function.
  • FE calculations provide valuable insights into the behavior of biological systems like ion channels.
  • These methods enable predictive and cost-effective research, bridging computational findings with experimental data.