Structural basis for ion selectivity and engineering in channelrhodopsins
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Updated: Jan 23, 2026

Whole-cell Patch-clamp Recordings for Electrophysiological Determination of Ion Selectivity in Channelrhodopsins
Published on: May 22, 2017
Michael Rappleye1, Andre Berndt1
1University of Washington, Department of Bioengineering, 850 Republican Street, Seattle, WA 98109, United States.
Abstract:
Channelrhodopsins have become an integral part of modern neuroscience approaches due to their ability to control neuronal activity in targeted cell populations. The recent determination of several channelrhodopsin X-ray structures now enables us to study their function with unprecedented molecular precision. We will discuss how these insights can guide the engineering of the ion conducting pathway to increase its selectivity for Cl-, Ca2+, and K+ ions and improve the overall conductance. Engineering such channelrhodopsins would further increase their utility in neuroscience research and beyond by controlling a wider range of physiological events. To thoroughly address this issue, we compare channelrhodopsin structures with structural features of voltage and ligand-gated K+, Cl- and Ca2+ channels and discuss how these could be implemented in channelrhodopsins.
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