Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 20, 2026

Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters
Published on: January 9, 2014
Force-induced conformational changes in PIEZO1
Yi-Chih Lin1,2, Yusong R Guo3, Atsushi Miyagi1,2
1Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Abstract:
PIEZO1 is a mechanosensitive channel that converts applied force into electrical signals. Partial molecular structures show that PIEZO1 is a bowl-shaped trimer with extended arms. Here we use cryo-electron microscopy to show that PIEZO1 adopts different degrees of curvature in lipid vesicles of different sizes. We also use high-speed atomic force microscopy to analyse the deformability of PIEZO1 under force in membranes on a mica surface, and show that PIEZO1 can be flattened reversibly into the membrane plane. By approximating the absolute force applied, we estimate a range of values for the mechanical spring constant of PIEZO1. Both methods of microscopy demonstrate that PIEZO1 can deform its shape towards a planar structure. This deformation could explain how lateral membrane tension can be converted into a conformation-dependent change in free energy to gate the PIEZO1 channel in response to mechanical perturbations.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Conformity
Conformations of Butane
Intermolecular Forces
Conformations of Cycloalkanes
Conformations of Cyclohexane
The chair form is the most stable and derives its name from its resemblance to the “easy chair.” In the chair conformation, two carbon atoms are arranged out-of-plane — one above and one below, minimizing the torsional strain. In the chair form, the bond angle is very close to the ideal...
Electromotive Force

