Fast Inactivation of Voltage-Gated K(+) Channels: From Cartoon to Structure.
Fast inactivation of voltage-gated potassium (K(v)) channels is the best understood gating transition in ion channels and is brought about by an NH(2)-terminal domain (ball domain) of the channel's alpha-subunit, which physically blocks the open pore. Recent analysis by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that ball domains from various K(v) channels exhibit well-defined but distinct structures in aqueous solution.
Antz
Christoph
C
Dept. of Physiology II, Univ. of Tübingen,Ob dem Himmelreich 7, 72074 Tübingen, Germany.
Fakler
Bernd
B