Newest Articles
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.
Electrical coupling and its channelsHarris 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.
Structure of OrcoZufall and Domingos discuss the significance of the recent structure of the insect odorant co-receptor Orco to the field of olfaction.
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.
State dependence of KCNQ channel activatorsThe KCNQ2-5 voltage-gated potassium channels are activated by a number of different compounds that shift the voltage dependence of activation to more negative voltages. Wang et al. show that pore- and voltage sensor–targeted activators have different state-dependent actions and therefore distinct mechanisms.
CaM regulation of Cav1.4 channelsCav1.4 Ca2+ channels provide maintained Ca2+ entry to support sustained neurotransmitter release, but a retinal splice variant exhibits calmodulin-dependent inactivation. Williams et al. show that the N lobe of calmodulin is involved in this process as well as Ca2+-dependent enhancement of channel activation.
Dynamics of second messengers in olfactory ciliaOlfactory responses in the cilia of olfactory receptor cells last for longer than 10 s, which cannot be explained by free diffusion of second messengers. Takeuchi and Kurahashi show that these signaling molecules have a limited spread and remain at the site of generation for a long time.
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December 3, 2018
Volume 150, No. 12
