Migration of PIP₂ on KCNQ2 Surface Revealed by Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Lipids and membrane proteins are the main components of cell membranes. Lipid-protein interactions are dynamic because these interactions typically occur on shallow protein surface clefts. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations provide a tool for studying the dynamics of these interactions. Here, we describe the interactions of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP₂) with both the open and closed states of a KCNQ2 channel. Through these methods, we show that a lipid can migrate between different binding sites in a protein and this migration modulates protein functions.