Referenced in: none

Automatically associated channels: Kv1.1

Title: Pursuing the voltage sensor of a voltage-gated mammalian potassium channel.

Authors: J Tytgat, K Nakazawa, A Gross, P Hess

Journal, date & volume: J. Biol. Chem., 1993 Nov 15 , 268, 23777-9

PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8226910

Abstract
Ion channels are generally classified as voltage- or ligand-gated channels based upon their ability to respond to a change in the transmembrane voltage or to a specific ligand interaction. The voltage sensor of voltage-gated ion channels is thought to be contained within the fourth putative transmembrane segment, S4, and is characterized by basic residues typically spaced apart. Thus far, a full understanding of all charges contributing to the voltage sensor of voltage-gated potassium channels has been lacking since several neutralization mutants in S4 could not be functionally expressed. By construction of multimeric cDNAs encoding a mammalian RCK1 (Kv1.1) potassium channel, we now report functional expression of all charge neutralizations in the S4 segment, providing a more comprehensive insight into the functioning of the voltage sensor.