Related papers: Mechanosensitive Channel Activation by Diffusio-Os…
We consider an exactly tractable model of the Kramers type for the voltage-dependent gating dynamics of single ion channels. It is assumed that the gating dynamics is caused by the thermally activated transitions in a bistable potential.…
Mechanosensitive channels are ion channels activated by membrane tension. We investigate the influence of bacterial mechanosensitive channels spatial distribution on activation (gating). Based on elastic short-range interactions we map this…
A position-dependent stochastic diffusion model of gating in ion channels is developed by considering the spatial variation of the diffusion coefficient between the closed and open states. It is assumed that a sensor which regulates the…
Mechanosensitive (MS) channels are ion channels which act as cells' safety valves, opening when the osmotic pressure becomes too high and making cells avoid damage by releasing ions. They are found on the cellular membrane of a large number…
We propose and study a model of hypothetical magnetosensitive ionic channels which are long thought to be a possible candidate to explain the influence of weak magnetic fields on living organisms ranging from magnetotactic bacteria to…
A model of mobile, charged ion channels in a fluid membrane is studied. The channels may switch between an open and a closed state according to a simple two-state kinetics with constant rates. The effective electrophoretic charge and the…
Experiments measuring currents through single protein channels show unstable currents, a phenomena called the gating of a single channel. Channels switch between an 'open' state with a well defined single amplitude of current and 'closed'…
Biologically important membrane channels are gated by force at attached tethers. Here, we generically characterize the non-trivial interplay of force, membrane tension, and channel deformations that can affect gating. A central finding is…
Ion channels orchestrate the communication between cells and their environment. These are special proteins capable of changing their shape to allow ions to pass through membranes in response to stimuli like membrane tension. As the letters…
Ion channels are proteins with a hole down the middle embedded in cell membranes. Membranes form insulating structures and the channels through them allow and control the movement of charged particles, spherical ions, mostly Na+, K+, Ca++,…
A discrete rate theory for general multi-ion channels is presented, in which the continuous dynamics of ion diffusion is reduced to transitions between Markovian discrete states. In an open channel, the ion permeation process involves three…
We propose an alternative mechanism for the gating of biological membrane channels in response to membrane tension that involves a change in the slope of the membrane near the channel. Under biological membrane tensions we show that the…
Experiments on single ionic channels have contributed to a large extent to our current view on the function of cell membrane. In these experiments the main observables are the physical quantities: ionic concentration, membrane electrostatic…
A model of mobile, charged ion channels embedded in a biomembrane is investigated. The ion channels fluctuate between an opened and a closed state according to a simple two-state reaction scheme whereas the total number of ion channels is a…
The physiology of voltage gated ion channels is complex and insights into their gating mechanism is incomplete. Their function is best represented by Markov models with relatively large number of distinct states that are connected by…
Stochastic Resonance in single voltage-dependent ion channels is investigated within a three state non-Markovian modeling of the ion channel conformational dynamics. In contrast to a two-state description one assumes the presence of an…
Experiments measuring currents through single protein channels show unstable currents. Channels switch between 'open' or 'closed' states in a spontaneous stochastic process called gating. Currents are either (nearly) zero or at a definite…
Molecular motion through pores plays a crucial role in various natural and industrial processes. One of the most fascinating features of biological channel-facilitated transport is a stochastic gating process, when the channels dynamically…
Mechanosensitive ion nanochannels regulate transport by undergoing conformational changes within nanopores. However, achieving precise control over these conformational states remains a major challenge for both artificial soft or solid…
We consider a simple working hypothesis that all permeation properties of open ionic channels can be predicted by understanding electrodiffusion in fixed structures, without invoking conformation changes, or changes in chemical bonds. We…