Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Ligand-gated Ion Channels01:19

Ligand-gated Ion Channels

15.6K
Ligand-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins with a channel for ions to pass through and a binding site for a ligand. The channel opens only when a ligand attaches to the binding site.
Three Subfamilies of Ligand-gated Ion Channels
Ligand-gated ion channels fall into three subfamilies. The 'Cys-loop' includes the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors. The second one is the 'Pore-loop' channels that...
15.6K
Non-gated Ion Channels01:24

Non-gated Ion Channels

9.2K
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....
9.2K
Non-gated Ion Channels01:24

Non-gated Ion Channels

4.5K
4.5K
Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism01:30

Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism

5.0K
Ligand-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that play a vital role in intercellular communication and functions of the nervous system. They allow the influx of ions across the membrane once the neurotransmitter binds, allowing the subsequent transmission of electrical excitation across the neurons. Other ligand-gated ion channels, like the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor, permit anions like chloride into the cells on the binding of the GABA molecule. Their entry into the cell...
5.0K
Depolarizing Blockers: Pharmocokinetics01:19

Depolarizing Blockers: Pharmocokinetics

739
Depolarizing blockers are administered through intravenous injection. Succinylcholine is the most common choice of depolarizing blockers in emergency clinical practices. Although they have a rapid onset, they readily diffuse away from the motor end plate into the extracellular fluid. They are metabolized by enzymes such as liver butyrylcholinesterase and plasma pseudocholinesterases. This produces a short duration of action, typically 5-10 minutes long, unlike nondepolarizing blockers, which...
739
Antihypertensive Drugs: Action of Calcium Channel Blockers01:18

Antihypertensive Drugs: Action of Calcium Channel Blockers

2.4K
Calcium ions are essential to contract smooth muscle cells in blood vessels. They enter these cells through voltage-dependent calcium channels, specifically L-type calcium channels in the cell membrane. These L-type calcium channels are integral to the excitation-contraction coupling process in smooth muscle. When a stimulus is received by smooth muscle cells, their membrane depolarizes. This alteration in membrane potential instigates the opening of L-type calcium channels. As a result,...
2.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Temperature-Dependent Menthol Binding across TRPM8 Conformational States.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Structural Bases for the Unconventional Activity of a Viroporin Channel.

Biochemistry·2026
Same author

Fully Reversible Photocontrol over DNA Intercalation with Visible Light.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Functional Blood-Brain Barrier Crossing by Biomimetic M13 Phage Vectors for Targeted Neuronal Delivery.

Advanced healthcare materials·2026
Same author

Conjugating M13 bacteriophage targeting folate receptor alpha with multiple photosensitizers: a flexible phototheranostic platform against ovarian cancer.

Journal of materials chemistry. B·2026
Same author

Mechanistic Insights into Dioxygen Transport Routes in the PHD2 Oxygenase from Long-Time Scale Simulations.

Biochemistry·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 14, 2026

Study of the Functions and Activities of Neuronal K-Cl Co-Transporter KCC2 Using Western Blotting
10:08

Study of the Functions and Activities of Neuronal K-Cl Co-Transporter KCC2 Using Western Blotting

Published on: December 9, 2022

2.7K

Blocking the passage: C60 geometrically clogs K(+) channels.

Matteo Calvaresi1, Simone Furini2, Carmen Domene3,4

  • 1†Dipartimento di Chimica "G. Ciamician", Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, via F. Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy.

ACS Nano
|April 16, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Fullerenes like C60 can block potassium channels through two mechanisms: a weak extracellular interaction and a stronger intracellular open-channel block. This binding is conserved across K(+) channels, raising toxicity concerns.

Keywords:
K+ channelsfullerenemolecular dynamicsnanotoxicityprotein nanoparticle interaction

More Related Videos

Measurement of Ion Concentration in the Unstirred Boundary Layer with Open Patch-Clamp Pipette: Implications in Control of Ion Channels by Fluid Flow
05:42

Measurement of Ion Concentration in the Unstirred Boundary Layer with Open Patch-Clamp Pipette: Implications in Control of Ion Channels by Fluid Flow

Published on: January 7, 2019

6.8K
Reconstitution of a Kv Channel into Lipid Membranes for Structural and Functional Studies
10:22

Reconstitution of a Kv Channel into Lipid Membranes for Structural and Functional Studies

Published on: July 13, 2013

20.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 14, 2026

Study of the Functions and Activities of Neuronal K-Cl Co-Transporter KCC2 Using Western Blotting
10:08

Study of the Functions and Activities of Neuronal K-Cl Co-Transporter KCC2 Using Western Blotting

Published on: December 9, 2022

2.7K
Measurement of Ion Concentration in the Unstirred Boundary Layer with Open Patch-Clamp Pipette: Implications in Control of Ion Channels by Fluid Flow
05:42

Measurement of Ion Concentration in the Unstirred Boundary Layer with Open Patch-Clamp Pipette: Implications in Control of Ion Channels by Fluid Flow

Published on: January 7, 2019

6.8K
Reconstitution of a Kv Channel into Lipid Membranes for Structural and Functional Studies
10:22

Reconstitution of a Kv Channel into Lipid Membranes for Structural and Functional Studies

Published on: July 13, 2013

20.2K

Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Computational Chemistry
  • Nanotoxicology

Background:

  • Potassium channels are crucial for cellular function.
  • Carbon nanomaterials, such as C60 fullerenes, are increasingly studied for their biological interactions.
  • Understanding C60's interaction with ion channels is vital for assessing nanotoxicology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which C60 fullerenes interact with and potentially block potassium (K(+)) channels.
  • To identify specific binding sites and characterize the binding affinities and kinetics of C60 within K(+) channels.

Main Methods:

  • Classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.
  • Docking calculations.
  • Umbrella sampling for potential of mean force (PMF) estimation.
  • Molecular mechanics/Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) energy calculations.

Main Results:

  • C60 exhibits two distinct blocking mechanisms: a low-affinity extracellular block and a high-affinity intracellular open-channel block.
  • A high-affinity binding site for C60 exists within the channel cavity, near the selectivity filter's intracellular entrance.
  • Binding is driven by shape complementarity and conserved across K(+) channel families, with an escape barrier of ~21 kcal/mol.

Conclusions:

  • C60 fullerenes can effectively block K(+) channels via dual mechanisms.
  • The conserved high-affinity intracellular binding site suggests potential for widespread toxicological effects of carbon nanomaterials on K(+) channel function.