Referenced in: none

Automatically associated channels: ClC4

Title: ClC and CFTR chloride channel gating.

Authors: J K Foskett

Journal, date & volume: Annu. Rev. Physiol., 1998 , 60, 689-717

PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9558482

Abstract
Chloride channels are widely expressed and play important roles in cell volume regulation, transepithelial transport, intracellular pH regulation, and membrane excitability. Most chloride channels have yet to be identified at a molecular level. The ClC gene family and the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) are distinct chloride channels expressed in many cell types, and mutations in their genes are the cause of several diseases including myotonias, cystic fibrosis, and kidney stones. Because of their molecular definition and roles in disease, these channels have been studied intensively over the past several years. The focus of this review is on recent studies that have provided new insights into the mechanisms governing the opening and closing, i.e. gating, of the ClC and CFTR chloride channels.