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Related Concept Videos

Amino acids03:42

Amino acids

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Amino acids are the monomers that comprise proteins. Each amino acid has the same fundamental structure, which consists of a central carbon atom, or the alpha (α) carbon, bonded to an amino group (NH2), a carboxyl group (COOH), and to a hydrogen atom. Every amino acid also has another atom or group of atoms bonded to the central atom known as the R group. There are 20 common amino acids present in proteins, each with a different R group. Variation in the amino acid sequence is responsible for...
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Ion Channels01:19

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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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Ions as Acids and Bases02:54

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Salts with Acidic Ions
Salts are ionic compounds composed of cations and anions, either of which may be capable of undergoing an acid or base ionization reaction with water. Aqueous salt solutions, therefore, may be acidic, basic, or neutral, depending on the relative acid-base strengths of the salt’s constituent ions. For example, dissolving the ammonium chloride in water results in its dissociation, as described by the equation:
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Amino Acid Catabolism01:18

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Microorganisms rely on proteins as an essential carbon and energy source, particularly in environments with limited polysaccharides or lipids. However, proteins are too large to cross the plasma membrane unaided, necessitating enzymatic degradation. Microbes secrete extracellular proteases and peptidases that hydrolyze proteins into peptides, which can then be transported across the membrane. Once inside the cell, intracellular proteases degrade these peptides into free amino acids, which...
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Non-gated Ion Channels01:24

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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.
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Amino Acid Biosynthetic Pathways01:29

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Amino acid biosynthesis is essential for cell growth, protein synthesis, and metabolic regulation. Cells generate essential and non-essential amino acids from metabolic intermediates to sustain vital biological functions. These intermediates originate from key metabolic pathways: glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and the pentose phosphate pathway. Important precursors include α-ketoglutarate, pyruvate, oxaloacetate, phosphoenolpyruvate, and erythrose-4-phosphate, which...
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Author Spotlight: In Silico Creation and Impact of Carbonylated Amino Acids on Protein Structure and Function
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Probing Ion Channel Structure and Function Using Light-Sensitive Amino Acids.

Viktoria Klippenstein1, Laetitia Mony1, Pierre Paoletti2

  • 1Institut de Biologie de I'ENS (IBENS), CNRS UMR8197, INSERM U1024, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Université PSL, 46 rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France; These authors contributed equally to this work.

Trends in Biochemical Sciences
|April 14, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers are using light-sensitive unnatural amino acids (UAAs) to control ion channels. This technique offers precise, non-invasive methods for studying ion channel function in biophysics and neuroscience.

Keywords:
fluorescenceion channelsoptogeneticsoptopharmacologyphotosensitive tethered ligands (PTLs)unnatural amino acids (UAAs)

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Area of Science:

  • Biophysics and Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology
  • Optogenetics

Background:

  • Light-based control of ion channels is a rapidly advancing area.
  • Genetic code expansion enables incorporating photosensitive unnatural amino acids (UAAs) into proteins.
  • This approach allows for molecular-level control over protein function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the applications of light-sensitive UAAs in ion channels.
  • To summarize available UAA tools and their mechanisms.
  • To discuss the potential and limitations of using UAAs for ion channel research.

Main Methods:

  • Genetic code expansion for UAA incorporation.
  • Utilizing photosensitive UAAs to confer light sensitivity.
  • Applying light to manipulate and interrogate ion channel activity.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated diverse applications of UAAs in voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels (VGICs and LGICs).
  • Summarized various UAA tools, detailing their modes of action.
  • Highlighted the spatiotemporal resolution and minimal invasiveness of light-based control.

Conclusions:

  • Light-sensitive UAAs provide a powerful tool for precise control and monitoring of ion channels.
  • This technology illuminates ion channel structure and function with high resolution.
  • UAAs offer significant potential for future biophysical and neuroscience research.