title: Potassium channel mechanics.
abstract: What is the moving part that switches an ion channel's current on and off? In this issue of Neuron del Camino and Yellen (2001) exploit scanning cysteine mutagenesis and sulfhydryl reagents to show that the intracellular end of the S6 helices forms a mechanical gate for the Shaker potassium channel.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Sigworth
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000502:physiology*; D016296:Mutagenesis; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015221:Potassium Channels