Building Atomic Models of the Ion Channels Based on Low Resolution Electron Microscopy Maps and Homology Modeling

Voltage-gated potassium channels play pivotal roles in excitable and non-excitable cells. For many decades, structural properties and molecular mechanisms of these channels were inferred from functional observations. At the turn of the twenty-first century, structural biology revealed major aspects in the structural basis of ion channel organization, permeation, and gating. Among the available tools, homology modeling associated with low resolution microscopy helps in delineating the different structural elements of voltage-gated channels. Here, we describe in detail the methodology of homology modeling, using the 3D structure of the Kv2.1ΔCTA ion channel as a reference.