Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Site Directed Spin Labeling and EPR Spectroscopic Studies of Pentameric Ligand-Gated Ion Channels
Published on: July 4, 2016
Physical Accuracy Leads to Biological Relevance: Best Practices For Simulating Ligand-Gated Ion Channels Interacting
Sruthi Murlidaran1, Grace Brannigan1
1Rutgers University, Camden, NJ, United States.
Abstract:
Efforts to detect binding modes of general anesthetics (GAs) for pentameric ligand-gated ion channels (pLGICs) are often complicated by a large number of indicated sites, as well as the challenges of ranking sites by affinity and determining which sites are occupied at clinical concentrations. Physics-based computational methods offer a powerful route for determining affinities of ligands to isolated binding sites, but preserving accuracy is essential. This chapter describes a step-by-step approach to multiple methods for identifying candidate sites and quantifying binding affinities and also discusses limitations and common pitfalls.
Related Concept Videos
Ligand-gated Ion Channels
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...
Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism
Ion Channels
Ion channels are specialized integral membrane proteins on the plasma membrane that allow...
Non-gated Ion Channels
Compared to the gated ion channels, the non-gated channels, also known as leakage or passive channels, have no gating mechanism....
Mechanically-gated Ion Channels
G-Protein Gated Ion Channels
Sensory...

