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Related Concept Videos

Aquaporins01:25

Aquaporins

Aquaporins or AQPs are a family of integral membrane proteins whose primary function is to transport water, while some called aquaglyceroporins also transport glycerol. In addition, aquaporins have also been suspected to be involved in transporting volatile substances, such as carbon dioxide and ammonia, across membranes. Such AQPs that act as gas channels are often highly expressed in cells involved in the gaseous exchange, such as red blood cells, epithelial cells, and pulmonary capillaries.
Single-pass Transmembrane Proteins01:25

Single-pass Transmembrane Proteins

Integral membrane proteins are tightly associated with the cell membrane and play a crucial role in cell communication, signaling, adhesion, and transport of the molecules. Some integral membrane proteins are present only in the membrane monolayer. For example, the enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase is present in the cytoplasmic side of the membrane monolayer. In contrast, another type of integral membrane protein, also known as a transmembrane protein, spans across the membrane. Transmembrane...
Multi-pass Transmembrane Proteins and β-barrels01:09

Multi-pass Transmembrane Proteins and β-barrels

In multi-pass transmembrane proteins, the polypeptide chain crosses the membrane more than once. The transmembrane polypeptide chain either forms an α-helix or β-strand structure. α-Helix containing multi-pass transmembrane proteins are ubiquitous, whereas β-strand containing ones are mainly found in gram-negative bacteria, mitochondria, and chloroplasts.
α-Helix containing multi-pass transmembrane proteins
Multi-pass transmembrane proteins such as G-protein-linked receptors (GPCRs) and...
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...
The Significance of Membrane Transport01:44

The Significance of Membrane Transport

The transport of solutes across the cell membrane is essential for metabolic processes, like maintaining cell size and volume, generating the action potential, exchanging nutrients and gases, etc. Membrane transport can be either passive or active. It can be simple diffusion, facilitated, or mediated transport aided by transport proteins such as transporters and channels.
Transporters facilitate either an active or passive movement of solutes. They can allow a single-molecule transport down its...
Membrane Proteins01:30

Membrane Proteins

Plasma membranes have integral transmembrane proteins involved in facilitated transport. These proteins are collectively referred to as transport proteins, and they function as either channels for the material or as carriers themselves. Channel proteins have hydrophilic domains exposed to the intracellular and extracellular fluids and a hydrophilic channel through their core that provides a hydrated opening for solutes to pass through the membrane layers. Passage through the channel allows...

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Membrane Transport Processes Analyzed by a Highly Parallel Nanopore Chip System at Single Protein Resolution
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Published on: August 16, 2016

Single-molecular artificial transmembrane water channels.

Xiao-Bo Hu1, Zhenxia Chen, Gangfeng Tang

  • 1Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Journal of the American Chemical Society
|May 12, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Synthesized hydrazide-appended pillar[5]arenes form tubular channels in lipid membranes, enabling efficient, selective water transport. These artificial channels mimic natural aquaporins by blocking proton passage.

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Area of Science:

  • Supramolecular Chemistry
  • Materials Science
  • Biomimetic Systems

Background:

  • Artificial transmembrane channels are crucial for understanding biological transport.
  • Pillar[5]arenes are versatile macrocyclic hosts with tunable properties.
  • Developing synthetic channels that mimic aquaporin selectivity is a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To synthesize novel hydrazide-appended pillar[5]arene derivatives.
  • To investigate their self-assembly and conformational behavior.
  • To evaluate their ability to form transmembrane water channels and assess selectivity.

Main Methods:

  • Synthesis of pillar[5]arene derivatives.
  • X-ray crystal structure analysis and 1H NMR spectroscopy.
  • Vesicle incorporation, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and cryo-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM).

Main Results:

  • Unique tubular conformations were confirmed for the synthesized molecules.
  • Single-molecule channels were formed within lipid membranes.
  • High water permeability (8.6 × 10^-10 cm s^-1) was achieved at a low channel/lipid ratio (0.027 mol %).
  • Selective water transport was demonstrated, with effective blockage of proton transport.

Conclusions:

  • Hydrazide-appended pillar[5]arenes self-assemble into functional single-molecule water channels.
  • These artificial channels exhibit biomimetic selectivity, transporting water while excluding protons.
  • The study presents a promising platform for artificial water channel development.