2hvk
crystal structure of the KcsA-Fab-TBA complex in high K+
Structural highlights
FunctionKCSA_STRLI Acts as a pH-gated potassium ion channel; changing the cytosolic pH from 7 to 4 opens the channel, although it is not clear if this is the physiological stimulus for channel opening. Monovalent cation preference is K(+) > Rb(+) > NH4(+) >> Na(+) > Li(+).[1] Evolutionary Conservation Check, as determined by ConSurfDB. You may read the explanation of the method and the full data available from ConSurf. Publication Abstract from PubMedK(+) channels play essential roles in regulating membrane excitability of many diverse cell types by selectively conducting K(+) ions through their pores. Many diverse molecules can plug the pore and modulate the K(+) current. Quaternary ammonium (QA) ions are a class of pore blockers that have been used for decades by biophysicists to probe the pore, leading to important insights into the structure-function relation of K(+) channels. However, many key aspects of the QA-blocking mechanisms remain unclear to date, and understanding these questions requires high resolution structural information. Here, we address the question of whether intracellular QA blockade causes conformational changes of the K(+) channel selectivity filter. We have solved the structures of the KcsA K(+) channel in complex with tetrabutylammonium (TBA) and tetrabutylantimony (TBSb) under various ionic conditions. Our results demonstrate that binding of TBA or TBSb causes no significant change in the KcsA structure at high concentrations of permeant ions. We did observe the expected conformational change of the filter at low concentration of K(+), but this change appears to be independent of TBA or TBSb blockade. Crystallographic study of the tetrabutylammonium block to the KcsA K+ channel.,Yohannan S, Hu Y, Zhou Y J Mol Biol. 2007 Feb 23;366(3):806-14. Epub 2006 Dec 2. PMID:17196615[2] From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. See AlsoReferences
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