Published in

Nature Research, Nature Communications, 1(5), 2014

DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5641

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

General rules for the arrangements and gating motions of pore-lining helices in homomeric ion channels

Journal article published in 2014 by Jian Dai, Huan-Xiang Zhou ORCID
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

Full text: Download

Green circle
Preprint: archiving allowed
Red circle
Postprint: archiving forbidden
Green circle
Published version: archiving allowed
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

The pore-lining helix (PLH) bundles are central to the function of all ion channels, as their conformational rearrangements dictate channel gating. Here, we explore all plausible oligomeric arrangements of the PLH bundles within homomeric ion channels by building models using generic restraints. In particular, the distance between two neighboring PLHs was bounded both below and above in order to avoid steric clash and allow proper packing. The resulting models provide a theoretical representation of the accessible space for oligomeric arrangements. While the represented space is confined, it encompasses nearly all the ion channel PLH bundles for which the structures are currently known. For a multitude of channels, gating models suggested by paths within the confined accessible space are in qualitative agreement with those established in previous structural and computational studies.