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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...
Non-gated Ion Channels01:24

Non-gated Ion Channels

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.
Non-gated Ion Channels01:24

Non-gated Ion Channels

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.
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...
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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 11, 2026

Controllable Ion Channel Expression through Inducible Transient Transfection
10:00

Controllable Ion Channel Expression through Inducible Transient Transfection

Published on: February 17, 2017

Synthetic ion channels.

Naomi Sakai1, Stefan Matile

  • 1Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.

Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|May 2, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Synthetic ion channels have evolved significantly over 30 years, with breakthroughs in structure and function. This review highlights key developments and future challenges in this innovative field.

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Last Updated: May 11, 2026

Controllable Ion Channel Expression through Inducible Transient Transfection
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13:07

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Area of Science:

  • Supramolecular Chemistry
  • Materials Science
  • Biophysical Chemistry

Background:

  • The field of synthetic ion channels has advanced significantly over the past three decades.
  • Early work focused on basic structural motifs, leading to more complex designs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a historical overview of synthetic ion channel development.
  • To highlight key structural and functional breakthroughs for a general audience.

Main Methods:

  • Historical review of scientific literature.
  • Synthesis and characterization of various synthetic ion channel structures.
  • Analysis of structure-function relationships.

Main Results:

  • Pioneering work in the 1980s laid the foundation.
  • The 1990s saw the "golden age" with crown ethers, calixarenes, and peptide mimetics.
  • Recent innovations include π-stacks, metal-organic scaffolds, and DNA origami, addressing functions like ion selectivity and gating.

Conclusions:

  • Synthetic ion channel research has progressed from basic structures to sophisticated designs with tunable functions.
  • Future research directions and challenges include enhancing ion selectivity, gating mechanisms, and biological integration.