title: A channel mechanism for electrogenic ion pumps.
abstract: A model of active ion transport is analyzed in which an essential part of the pumps molecule is an ion channel. Ion translocation in the channel is described as a series of jumps between binding sites which are separated by energy barriers. Pumping action results from a transient energy-dependent modification of the barrier structure of the channel and requires only minor conformational changes of the pump molecule. This model is applied to the light-driven proton pump of Halobacterium and to redox-coupled proton pumps in the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Similar considerations may be used to describe ATP-dependent ion transport.
mesh_terms: D001693:Biological Transport, Active; D004579:Electron Transport; D004735:Energy Transfer; D006217:Halobacterium / Q000378:metabolism; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D008433:Mathematics; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels