Extracellular modulation of TREK-2 activity with nanobodies provides insight into the mechanisms of K2P channel regulation
(2023)
Influence of Electronic Polarization on the Binding of Anions to a Chloride-Pumping Rhodopsin
(2023)
When is a hydrophobic gate not a hydrophobic gate?
The Journal of general physiology 154:11 (2022) e202213210
Abstract:
The flux of ions through a channel is most commonly regulated by changes that result in steric occlusion of its pore. However, ion permeation can also be prevented by formation of a desolvation barrier created by hydrophobic residues that line the pore. As a result of relatively minor structural changes, confined hydrophobic regions in channels may undergo transitions between wet and dry states to gate the pore closed without physical constriction of the permeation pathway. This concept is referred to as hydrophobic gating, and many examples of this process have been demonstrated. However, the term is also now being used in a much broader context that often deviates from its original meaning. In this Viewpoint, we explore the formal definition of a hydrophobic gate, discuss examples of this process compared with other gating mechanisms that simply exploit hydrophobic residues and/or lipids in steric closure of the pore, and describe the best practice for identification of a hydrophobic gate.Gain-of-function mutations in KCNK3 cause a developmental disorder with sleep apnea
Nature Genetics Nature Research 54:10 (2022) 1534-1543
Abstract:
Sleep apnea is a common disorder that represents a global public health burden. KCNK3 encodes TASK-1, a K+ channel implicated in the control of breathing, but its link with sleep apnea remains poorly understood. Here we describe a new developmental disorder with associated sleep apnea (developmental delay with sleep apnea, or DDSA) caused by rare de novo gain-of-function mutations in KCNK3. The mutations cluster around the ‘X-gate’, a gating motif that controls channel opening, and produce overactive channels that no longer respond to inhibition by G-protein-coupled receptor pathways. However, despite their defective X-gating, these mutant channels can still be inhibited by a range of known TASK channel inhibitors. These results not only highlight an important new role for TASK-1 K+ channels and their link with sleep apnea but also identify possible therapeutic strategies.Structural basis for proton coupled cystine transport by cystinosin.
Nature communications 13:1 (2022) 4845