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Voltage-gated hydrophobic nanopores
Sergei N Smirnov1, Ivan V Vlassiouk, Nickolay V Lavrik
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003, USA. snsm@nmsu.edu
ACS Nano
|August 16, 2011
Summary
Scientists demonstrate voltage-induced gating in artificial hydrophobic nanopores. This voltage-controlled switching between dry and wet states mimics biological ion channels, offering new insights into molecular interactions.
Area of Science:
- Physical Chemistry
- Biophysics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Hydrophobicity governs molecular interactions in water, particularly near hydrophobic structures like nanopores.
- Hydrophobic nanopores exhibit distinct dry and wet states, with transitions being kinetically limited.
- Understanding and controlling these transitions is crucial for applications in molecular sensing and transport.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate voltage-induced transitions between dry and wet states in single hydrophobic nanopores.
- To demonstrate the feasibility of reversible voltage-controlled gating in artificial nanopores.
- To compare the electrical characteristics of these artificial pores with biological voltage-gated channels.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a membrane with a single hydrophobic nanopore.
- Application of voltage across the membrane to induce pore state transitions.
- Electrowetting technique to control the inner wall wettability.
- Measurement of ionic current-voltage (I-V) characteristics.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated reversible voltage-induced switching between dry and wet states in hydrophobic nanopores.
- Observed that pore transitions are faster in shorter pores.
- Artificial hydrophobic nanopores exhibited I-V curves similar to biological voltage-gated channels.
Conclusions:
- Voltage application provides an effective method for controlling the state of hydrophobic nanopores.
- Electrowetting enables reversible gating, mimicking biological channel function.
- These findings open possibilities for developing novel biosensors and artificial channels.
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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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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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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.
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