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Cumulative hydropathic topology of a voltage‐gated sodium channel at atomic resolution
Author(s) -
Xenakis Markos N.,
Kapetis Dimos,
Yang Yang,
Heijman Jordi,
Waxman Stephen G.,
Lauria Giuseppe,
Faber Catharina G.,
Smeets Hubert J.,
Westra Ronald L.,
Lindsey Patrick J.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
proteins: structure, function, and bioinformatics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.699
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1097-0134
pISSN - 0887-3585
DOI - 10.1002/prot.25951
Subject(s) - topology (electrical circuits) , biophysics , gating , membrane , sodium channel , chemistry , physics , sodium , biology , biochemistry , mathematics , organic chemistry , combinatorics
Abstract Voltage‐gated sodium channels (NavChs) are biological pores that control the flow of sodium ions through the cell membrane. In humans, mutations in genes encoding NavChs can disrupt physiological cellular activity thus leading to a wide spectrum of diseases. Here, we present a topological connection between the functional architecture of a NavAb bacterial channel and accumulation of atomic hydropathicity around its pore. This connection is established via a scaling analysis methodology that elucidates how intrachannel hydropathic density variations translate into hydropathic dipole field configurations along the pore. Our findings suggest the existence of a nonrandom cumulative hydropathic topology that is organized parallel to the membrane surface so that pore's stability, as well as, gating behavior are guaranteed. Given the biophysical significance of the hydropathic effect, our study seeks to provide a computational framework for studying cumulative hydropathic topological properties of NavChs and pore‐forming proteins in general.