EPR Studies of Gating Mechanisms in Ion Channels.

ABSTRACT: Ion channels open and close in response to diverse stimuli, and the molecular events underlying these processes are extensively modulated by ligands of both endogenous and exogenous origin. In the past decade, high-resolution structures of several channel types have been solved, providing unprecedented details of the molecular architecture of these membrane proteins. Intrinsic conformational flexibility of ion channels critically governs their functions. However, the dynamics underlying gating mechanisms and modulations are obscured in the information from crystal structures. While nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic methods allow direct measurements of protein dynamics, they are limited by the large size of these membrane protein assemblies in detergent micelles or lipid membranes. E

SUBMITTER: Chakrapani S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4503332 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature