Referenced in: none

Automatically associated channels: ClC4

Title: Bead-like passage of chloride ions through ClC chloride channels.

Authors: Atsushi Suenaga, Jay Z Yeh, Makoto Taiji, Akira Toyama, Hideo Takeuchi, Mingyu Son, Kazuyoshi Takayama, Masatoshi Iwamoto, Ikuro Sato, Toshio Narahashi, Akihiko Konagaya, Kunihiko Goto

Journal, date & volume: Biophys. Chem., 2006 Mar 1 , 120, 36-43

PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16288955

Abstract
The ClC chloride channels control the ionic composition of the cytoplasm and the volume of cells, and regulate electrical excitability. Recently, it has been proposed that prokaryotic ClC channels are H+-Cl- exchange transporter. Although X-ray and molecular dynamics (MD) studies of bacterial ClC channels have investigated the filter open-close and ion permeation mechanism of channels, details have remained unclear. We performed MD simulations of ClC channels involving H+, Na+, K+, or H3O+ in the intracellular region to elucidate the open-close mechanism, and to clarify the role of H+ ion an H+-Cl- exchange transporter. Our simulations revealed that H+ and Na+ caused channel opening and the passage of Cl- ions. Na+ induced a bead-like string of Cl- -Na+-Cl--Na+-Cl- ions to form and permeate through ClC channels to the intracellular side with the widening of the channel pathway.