Newest Articles
Tropomyosin dynamics on F-actinThe detachment of myosin from actin is associated with tropomyosin adopting a blocked or closed state, but the mechanism is unclear. Using MD simulations, Kiani et al. show that tropomyosin undergoes spontaneous transitions on the F-actin surface toward blocked or closed positions.
3-Cl-DPA is an activator of cardiac troponinCardiac troponin activators could be beneficial in systolic heart failure. Tikunova et al. demonstrate that, unlike previously known calcium sensitizers, the small molecule 3-chlorodiphenylamine does not activate isolated cardiac troponin C but instead activates the intact troponin complex.
The intrinsic ligand mechanism in hERG K channelsAn intersubunit interaction between the N-terminal PAS domain and C-terminal cyclic nucleotide binding homology domain (CNBHD) regulates slow deactivation in hERG potassium channels. By mutating the intrinsic ligand, Codding and Trudeau disrupt slow deactivation and prevent the PAS-CNBHD interaction.
Weak hydrogen bonds in the active site of a rhomboid proteaseRhomboid proteases are membrane-integrated enzymes that hydrolyze peptide bonds in the transmembrane domains of protein substrates. Gaffney and Hong experimentally determine interaction energies between active site residues to reveal weak coupling, which may explain the slow proteolysis mediated by GlpG.
Different agonists promote distinct TRPV1 open statesTRPV1 is a polymodal ion channel that can be activated by lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), resulting in pain. Here we show that TRPV1 activation by LPA promotes a distinct open state with a different single-channel conductance from that induced by capsaicin.
GxTx detains voltage sensors at restGuangxitoxin-1E (GxTx) is a peptide from tarantula venom that binds to Kv2.1 voltage sensors and inhibits channel activity. Tilley et al. investigate the allosteric mechanism of GxTx and show that it stabilizes the resting state of voltage sensors and limits opportunities for the pore to open.
N-terminal modification tunes Panx1 activityVoltage stimulation is commonly used to study pannexin 1 (Panx1). However, whether Panx1 is a voltage-gated channel remains controversial. Michalski et al. demonstrate that Panx1 is a channel with weak voltage dependence, whose activity can be tuned by N-terminal modifications.
Current Issue
November 5, 2018
Volume 150, No. 11
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Reviews & Opinions
- The structure of Orco and its impact on our understanding of olfaction
Zufall and Domingos discuss the significance of the recent structure of the insect odorant co-receptor Orco to the field of olfaction.
- Influences: The Cell Physiology Laboratory in Montemar, Chile
Bezanilla recalls the profound influence that the Laboratory of Cell Physiology in Montemar, with its investigators and visitors, have had in shaping his scientific career.
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Harris explores the development of our current understanding of electrical coupling between cells and the channels that mediate it, highlighting the contributions of the Journal of General Physiology.