title: ClC chloride channels.
abstract: Chloride-conducting ion channels of the ClC family are emerging as critical contributors to a host of biological processes. These polytopic membrane proteins form aqueous pathways through which anions are selectively allowed to pass down their concentration gradients. The ClCs are found in nearly all organisms, with members in every mammalian tissue, yet relatively little is known about their mechanism or regulation. It is clear, however, that they are fundamentally different in molecular construction and mechanism from the well-known potassium-, sodium-, and calcium-selective channels. The medical importance of ClC channels - four inherited diseases have been blamed on familial ClC dysfunction to date - highlights their diverse physiological functions and provides strong motivation for further study.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Biochemistry, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA. jmindell@brandeis.edu
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mindell
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maduke
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D020285:Cryoelectron Microscopy; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005796:Genes / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D018118:Chloride Channels