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Related Concept Videos

Mechanically-gated Ion Channels01:12

Mechanically-gated Ion Channels

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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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Ion Channels01:19

Ion Channels

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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...
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Electrochemical Gradient and Channel Proteins: An Overview01:21

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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:
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Tension Response at Adherens Junctions01:26

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The adherens junctions that anchor cells together are multi-protein complexes that dynamically adapt to mechanical stimuli such as tensile forces and shear stress. Mechanosensory proteins in these junctions can sense such mechanical stimuli and undergo a shift in their conformation, resulting in an altered function — a process called mechanotransduction.
α-Catenin as a Mechanosensory Protein
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In animal cells, the extracellular matrix allows cells within tissues to withstand external stresses and transmits signals from the outside of the cell to the inside. The extracellular matrix is extensive, and its composition varies between different types of tissues. For example, the reticular fibers and ground substance make up the ECM in loose connective tissue, while collagen and bone minerals make up the ECM of bone tissue. 
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Multifunctional, Micropipette-based Method for Incorporation And Stimulation of Bacterial Mechanosensitive Ion Channels in Droplet Interface Bilayers
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Mechanosensitive channel activation by diffusio-osmotic force.

Douwe Jan Bonthuis1, Ramin Golestanian1

  • 1Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3NP, United Kingdom.

Physical Review Letters
|October 18, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Bacterial mechanosensitive channels use charged vestibules and hydrophobic constrictions to control ion flow. This physical interplay creates distinct open and closed states, essential for cellular function.

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Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Computational Biology

Background:

  • Ion channel gating is crucial for all living organisms.
  • Mechanosensitive channels regulate cellular responses to physical forces.
  • Understanding channel gating mechanisms is a key challenge in biophysics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the physical mechanisms underlying ion channel gating.
  • To investigate the role of charged vestibules and hydrophobic constrictions in channel conformational changes.
  • To model the transitions between open and closed states in bacterial mechanosensitive channels.

Main Methods:

  • Solving nonequilibrium Stokes-Poisson-Nernst-Planck equations.
  • Incorporating a molecular potential of mean force into the model.
  • Analyzing the interplay between structural elements and ion/water dynamics.

Main Results:

  • The interaction between charged vestibules and hydrophobic constrictions naturally creates two distinct conformational states (open and closed).
  • Diffusio-osmotic stress from ions and water, coupled with membrane elastic forces, drives the gating transitions.
  • A first-order phase transition between closed and open states was identified.

Conclusions:

  • The study reveals a fundamental physical mechanism for ion channel gating.
  • Charged vestibules and hydrophobic constrictions are key determinants of channel conformational states.
  • Computational modeling provides critical insights into the dynamics of mechanosensitive channels.