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Related Concept Videos

Voltage-gated Ion Channels01:26

Voltage-gated Ion Channels

10.6K
Voltage-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that open and close in response to changes in the membrane potential. They are present on the membranes of all electrically excitable cells such as neurons, heart, and muscle cells.
Generally, all voltage-gated ion channels have a 'voltage-sensing domain' that spans the lipid bilayer. The charged residues in the sensor move in response to the membrane potential changes that open the channel allowing ions movement. There are several types of...
10.6K
Non-gated Ion Channels01:24

Non-gated Ion Channels

8.1K
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....
8.1K
Ligand-gated Ion Channels01:19

Ligand-gated Ion Channels

14.0K
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...
14.0K
Mechanically-gated Ion Channels01:12

Mechanically-gated Ion Channels

7.6K
Mechanically-gated ion channels are proteins found in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell membranes that open in response to mechanical stress. Tension, compression, swelling, and shear stress can alter the conformation of the protein, opening a transmembrane channel that allows the passage of ions for signal transmission. In eukaryotes, mechanically-gated channels are distributed in several regions like the neurons, lungs, skin, bladder, and heart, where they play critical roles in numerous...
7.6K
Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism01:30

Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism

3.9K
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...
3.9K
G-Protein Gated Ion Channels01:21

G-Protein Gated Ion Channels

5.6K
GPCRs are primarily responsible for our sense of smell, taste, and vision.  The binding of a sensory stimulus activates GPCR to stimulate effector proteins, many of which are ion channels in the sensory organs. GPCRs modulate the opening and closing of the target ion channels either directly by binding them, or by releasing second messengers that activate these channels. As ions move across the membrane, the membrane potential is altered, which induces an appropriate response.
Sensory...
5.6K

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 24, 2026

Reconstitution of a Transmembrane Protein, the Voltage-gated Ion Channel, KvAP, into Giant Unilamellar Vesicles for Microscopy and Patch Clamp Studies
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Reconstitution of a Transmembrane Protein, the Voltage-gated Ion Channel, KvAP, into Giant Unilamellar Vesicles for Microscopy and Patch Clamp Studies

Published on: January 22, 2015

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Voltage-gated sodium channels: structures, functions, and molecular modeling.

Lei Xu1, Xiaoqin Ding2, Tianhu Wang1

  • 1Institute of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou 213001, China.

Drug Discovery Today
|May 27, 2019
PubMed
Summary

Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are crucial for electrical signaling and implicated in diseases like epilepsy and pain. This review details their structures, functions, drug targets, and computational design approaches.

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Optimized Transfection Strategy for Expression and Electrophysiological Recording of Recombinant Voltage-Gated Ion Channels in HEK-293T Cells
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Optimized Transfection Strategy for Expression and Electrophysiological Recording of Recombinant Voltage-Gated Ion Channels in HEK-293T Cells

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Profiling Voltage-gated Potassium Channel mRNA Expression in Nigral Neurons using Single-cell RT-PCR Techniques
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Profiling Voltage-gated Potassium Channel mRNA Expression in Nigral Neurons using Single-cell RT-PCR Techniques

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 24, 2026

Reconstitution of a Transmembrane Protein, the Voltage-gated Ion Channel, KvAP, into Giant Unilamellar Vesicles for Microscopy and Patch Clamp Studies
11:42

Reconstitution of a Transmembrane Protein, the Voltage-gated Ion Channel, KvAP, into Giant Unilamellar Vesicles for Microscopy and Patch Clamp Studies

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Optimized Transfection Strategy for Expression and Electrophysiological Recording of Recombinant Voltage-Gated Ion Channels in HEK-293T Cells
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Optimized Transfection Strategy for Expression and Electrophysiological Recording of Recombinant Voltage-Gated Ion Channels in HEK-293T Cells

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Profiling Voltage-gated Potassium Channel mRNA Expression in Nigral Neurons using Single-cell RT-PCR Techniques
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Profiling Voltage-gated Potassium Channel mRNA Expression in Nigral Neurons using Single-cell RT-PCR Techniques

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pharmacology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are essential for electrical signaling in excitable cells.
  • Dysfunction of VGSCs is linked to neurological and cardiac disorders, making them key therapeutic targets.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advancements in understanding VGSC structure and function.
  • To systematically summarize ligand-binding sites and isoform-selective modulators.
  • To explore molecular modeling and computer-aided drug design (CADD) applications for VGSCs.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent research on VGSC structure, function, and pharmacology.
  • Systematic summary of identified ligand-binding sites and clinical trial modulators.
  • Review of computational studies, including molecular modeling and CADD.

Main Results:

  • VGSCs possess complex structures critical for electrical impulse propagation.
  • Eight distinct pharmacologically relevant ligand-binding sites have been identified.
  • Several isoform-selective VGSC modulators are progressing through clinical trials.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding VGSC structure-function relationships is vital for developing targeted therapies.
  • CADD approaches offer promising avenues for novel drug discovery for VGSC-related diseases.