Title | Electrostatic tuning of ion conductance in potassium channels. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2003 |
Authors | Nimigean CM, Chappie JS, Miller C |
Journal | Biochemistry |
Volume | 42 |
Issue | 31 |
Pagination | 9263-8 |
Date Published | 2003 Aug 12 |
ISSN | 0006-2960 |
Keywords | Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Bacterial Proteins, Electric Conductivity, Escherichia coli, Ion Channel Gating, Membrane Potentials, Molecular Sequence Data, Mutagenesis, Site-Directed, Oocytes, Potassium Channels, Protein Conformation, Protein Subunits, Sequence Homology, Amino Acid, Static Electricity, Xenopus laevis |
Abstract | Members of the K(+) channel family display remarkable conservation of sequence and structure of the ion selectivity filter, whereas the rates of K(+) turnover vary widely within the family. Here we show that channel conductance is strongly influenced by charge at the channel's intracellular mouth. Introduction of a ring of negative charges at this position in KcsA, a bacterial K(+) channel, augments the conductance in a pH-dependent manner. These results are explained by a simple electrostatic effect based on known channel structures, where the negative charges serve to alter the electrical potential at the inner mouth and, thus, to increase the local K(+) concentration. In addition, removal of the conserved negative charges at equivalent positions in a high-conductance eukaryotic K(+) channel leads to a decrease in conductance. |
DOI | 10.1021/bi0348720 |
Alternate Journal | Biochemistry |
PubMed ID | 12899612 |