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Related Concept Videos

Ion Channels01:19

Ion Channels

89.4K
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...
89.4K
Voltage-gated Ion Channels01:26

Voltage-gated Ion Channels

9.3K
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...
9.3K
Mechanically-gated Ion Channels01:12

Mechanically-gated Ion Channels

7.1K
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...
7.1K
Electrochemical Gradient and Channel Proteins: An Overview01:21

Electrochemical Gradient and Channel Proteins: An Overview

3.6K
An electrochemical gradient is a fundamental concept in biology and chemistry. It regulates the movement of ions across cell membranes. This movement is influenced by two factors:
The electrical gradient: The electrical gradient across cell membranes refers to the difference in electric charge between the inside and outside of a cell.  This difference drives the movement of ions towards or away from the cells. For instance, if the inside of the cell is more negatively charged relative to...
3.6K
Ligand-gated Ion Channels01:19

Ligand-gated Ion Channels

13.3K
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...
13.3K
Non-gated Ion Channels01:24

Non-gated Ion Channels

7.6K
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....
7.6K

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 3, 2025

Mutagenesis and Functional Analysis of Ion Channels Heterologously Expressed in Mammalian Cells
15:28

Mutagenesis and Functional Analysis of Ion Channels Heterologously Expressed in Mammalian Cells

Published on: October 1, 2010

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Correlating ion channel structure and function.

Philipp A M Schmidpeter1, Crina M Nimigean1

  • 1Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States.

Methods in Enzymology
|June 1, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) provides high-resolution structures of ion channels. Combining structural data with functional assays, like lipid nanodiscs and flux assays, reveals detailed molecular mechanisms and aids in targeting channelopathies.

Keywords:
Cryo-electron microscopyIon channelLipid bilayersMthKNanodiscRadioactive uptake assaySingle-channel recordingSthKStopped-flow fluorescence assay

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Determination of the Relative Cell Surface and Total Expression of Recombinant Ion Channels Using Flow Cytometry
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Determination of the Relative Cell Surface and Total Expression of Recombinant Ion Channels Using Flow Cytometry

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Recapitulation of an Ion Channel IV Curve Using Frequency Components
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Recapitulation of an Ion Channel IV Curve Using Frequency Components

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 3, 2025

Mutagenesis and Functional Analysis of Ion Channels Heterologously Expressed in Mammalian Cells
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Mutagenesis and Functional Analysis of Ion Channels Heterologously Expressed in Mammalian Cells

Published on: October 1, 2010

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Determination of the Relative Cell Surface and Total Expression of Recombinant Ion Channels Using Flow Cytometry
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Determination of the Relative Cell Surface and Total Expression of Recombinant Ion Channels Using Flow Cytometry

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Recapitulation of an Ion Channel IV Curve Using Frequency Components
10:14

Recapitulation of an Ion Channel IV Curve Using Frequency Components

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Area of Science:

  • Membrane biophysics
  • Structural biology
  • Ion channel research

Background:

  • Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has advanced membrane protein structure determination.
  • High-resolution structures alone offer limited insight into protein function.
  • Correlating structural data with functional states is crucial for understanding ion channel mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present techniques for studying ion channel structure and function in vitro.
  • To enable detailed structure-function correlations using purified components.
  • To provide protocols for adapting these techniques for broader research application.

Main Methods:

  • Lipid nanodiscs for native-like membrane protein environments.
  • Liposome-based flux assays for kinetic analysis of ion channel activity.
  • Electrophysiological recordings and single-particle cryo-EM.
  • Mutagenesis and protein engineering.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated the utility of lipid nanodiscs for biophysical studies.
  • Integrated structural and functional data for cyclic nucleotide-gated and Ca2+-gated K+ channels.
  • Highlighted the importance of lipid environment and time-resolved techniques.

Conclusions:

  • Integrated structure-function analysis is essential for understanding ion channel regulation.
  • These combined techniques facilitate detailed molecular insights into ion channel mechanisms.
  • Comprehensive correlations are vital for the pharmacological targeting of channelopathies.