The influence of geometry, surface character, and flexibility on the permeation of ions and water through biological pores.

Journal article

A hydrophobic constriction site can act as an efficient barrier to ion and water permeation if its diameter is less than the diameter of an ion's first hydration shell. This hydrophobic gating mechanism is thought to operate in a number of ion channels, e.g. the nicotinic receptor, bacterial mechanosensitive channels (MscL and MscS) and perhaps in some potassium channels (e.g. KcsA, MthK and KvAP). Simplified pore models allow one to investigate the primary characteristics of a conduction pat...

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Authors: Beckstein, O; Sansom, MS

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Physical biology
• Volume: 1
• Issue: 1-2
• Pages: 42-52
• Publication date: 2004-06-01
• DOI: 10.1088/1478-3967/1/1/005
• EISSN: 1478-3975
• ISSN: 1478-3967
• Language: English
• Keywords: Water; Biophysics; Ion Channels; Ion Channel Gating; Biophysical Phenomena; Cell Membrane; Nanostructures; Models, Biological; Thermodynamics; Cell Membrane Permeability; Ion Transport