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Related Concept Videos

Mechanically-gated Ion Channels01:12

Mechanically-gated Ion Channels

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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...
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Voltage-gated Ion Channels01:26

Voltage-gated Ion Channels

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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...
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Ion Channels01:19

Ion Channels

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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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Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism01:30

Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism

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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...
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Non-gated Ion Channels01:24

Non-gated Ion Channels

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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.
Compared to the gated ion channels, the non-gated channels, also known as leakage or passive channels, have no gating mechanism....
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Ligand-gated Ion Channels01:19

Ligand-gated Ion Channels

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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...
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Multifunctional, Micropipette-based Method for Incorporation And Stimulation of Bacterial Mechanosensitive Ion Channels in Droplet Interface Bilayers
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Mechanically gated OSCA/TMEM63 ion channels: From physiological function to structural basis.

Siqi Deng1,2, Qinling Qiu1,2, Shangyu Dang1,3

  • 1Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.

The Journal of Cell Biology
|January 2, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The OSCA/TMEM63 family, crucial for cellular mechanotransduction, are mechanically gated ion channels. This review explores their roles and proposes a new mechanically gated ion channel superfamily.

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Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • The OSCA/TMEM63 family represents the largest known group of mechanically gated ion channels.
  • These channels play essential roles in cellular mechanotransduction, responding to mechanical stimuli and osmotic stress.
  • Plant OSCAs and animal TMEM63 homologs share functional similarities despite differences in conductance and activation thresholds.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the physiological and pathological roles of OSCA/TMEM63 proteins.
  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying their function in mechanotransduction.
  • To propose a novel mechanically gated ion channel superfamily.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of structural and functional studies.
  • Analysis of conserved gating mechanisms.
  • Comparative analysis of OSCA/TMEM63 and TMC proteins.

Main Results:

  • Structural studies suggest a conserved "force-from-lipid" gating mechanism.
  • Membrane tension or curvature directly influences protein conformation and ion flow.
  • OSCA/TMEM63 proteins are implicated in various physiological and pathological processes.

Conclusions:

  • The OSCA/TMEM63 family is central to cellular mechanotransduction.
  • A conserved "force-from-lipid" mechanism governs their gating.
  • A new mechanically gated ion channel superfamily, including OSCA/TMEM63 and TMC proteins, is proposed.