Open AccessElectrostatic distance geometry in a K+ channel vestibule.
Author(s) -
Martin Stocker,
Christopher Miller
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.91.20.9509
Subject(s) - charybdotoxin , shaker , channel (broadcasting) , chemistry , biophysics , ion channel , geometry , potassium channel , physics , receptor , biochemistry , acoustics , biology , mathematics , computer science , vibration , computer network
Many voltage-gated K+ channels carry in the external vestibule a receptor for charybdotoxin, a peptide channel blocker. We use point mutagenesis of both charybdotoxin and a Shaker K+ channel to isolate the electrostatic interaction energy between chosen pairs of residues, one on the channel and one on bound toxin. The results allow estimates of physical distances between such residue pairs and, in combination with the known structure of charybdotoxin, localize specific channel residues in three-dimensional space.