Related papers: Transport threshold in a quantum model for the Ksc…
In this work, we present a quantum transport model for the selectivity filter in the KcsA potassium ion channel. This model is fully consistent with the fact that two conduction pathways are involved in the translocation of ions thorough…
Recently, it has been suggested that ion channel selectivity filter may exhibit quantum coherence, which may be appropriate to explain ion selection and conduction processes. Potassium channels play a vital role in many physiological…
Assuming that the selectivity filter of KcsA potassium ion channel may exhibit quantum coherence, we extend a previous model by Vaziri and Plenio (2010) to take into account Coulomb repulsion between potassium ions. We show that typical ion…
Potassium ion channels are critical components of biology. They conduct potassium ions across the cell membrane with remarkable speed and selectivity. Understanding how they do this is crucially important for applications in neuroscience,…
Potassium (K$^+$) channels regulate the flux of K$^+$ ions through cell membranes and plays significant roles in many physiological functions. This work studies the KcsA potassium channel, including the selectivity and current-voltage (IV)…
Classical molecular dynamics and electro-diffusion theories have achieved profound success in elucidating ion selectivity and gating mechanisms. However, reconciling strict selectivity with high flux permeation in Angstrom-scaled biological…
Potassium (K-) channels catalyze K+ ion permeation across cellular membranes while simultaneously discriminating their permeation over Na+ ions by more than a factor of a thousand. Structural studies show bare K+ ions occupying the…
Ion channels form pores across the lipid bilayer, selectively allowing inorganic ions to cross the membrane down their electrochemical gradient. While the study of ion desolvation free-energies have attracted much attention, the role of…
We introduce a self-consistent multi-species kinetic theory based on the structure of the narrow voltage-gated potassium channel. Transition rates depend on a complete energy spectrum with contributions including the dehydration amongst…
The S$_2$ site of the KcsA K$^+$ channel has eight carbonyl ligands in the ion-binding site. A recent study suggests that the K$^+$-over-Na$^+$ selectivity of the S$_2$ site can be understood by noting the larger free energy change involved…
Ion channels are protein structures that facilitate the selective passage of ions across the membrane cells of living organisms. They are known for their high conductance and high selectivity. The precise mechanism between these two…
Ion channels are specific proteins present in the membranes of living cells. They control the flow of specific ions through a cell, initiated by an ion channel's electrochemical gradient. In doing so, they control important physiological…
We present an equilibrium statistical-mechanical theory of selectivity in biological ion channels. In doing so, we introduce a grand canonical ensemble for ions in a channel's selectivity filter coupled to internal and external bath…
Ion transport through narrow water--filled channels is impeded by a high electrostatic barrier. The latter originates from the large ratio of the dielectric constants of the water and a surrounding media. We show that ``doping'', i.e.…
In this paper, we study the selectivity of the potassium channel KcsA by a recently developed image-charge solvation method(ICSM) combined with molecular dynamics simulations. The hybrid solvation model in the ICSM is able to demonstrate…
We study the phenomenon of quantum friction in a system consisting of a polarizable atom moving at a constant speed parallel to a metallic plate. The metal is described using a charged hydrodynamic model for the electrons. This model…
Despite a large body of work, the exact molecular details underlying ion-selectivity and transport in the potassium channel have not been fully laid to rest. One major reason has been the lack of experimental methods that can probe these…
The KcsA potassium channel belongs to a class of K+ channels that is selective for K+ over Na+ at rates of K+ transport approaching the diffusion limit. This selectivity is explained thermodynamically in terms of favorable partitioning of…
We investigate the outflux of ions through the channels in a cell membrane. The channels undergo an open/close cycle according to a periodic schedule. Our study is based both on theoretical considerations relying on homogenization theory,…
The fusion of two interacting heavy ions traditionally has been interpreted in terms of the penetration of the projectile into the target. Observed rates well below the Coulomb barrier are considerably lower than estimates obtained from…