title: Collective response of self-organized clusters of mechanosensitive channels.
abstract: Mechanosensitive channels are ion channels activated by membrane tension. We investigate the influence of the spatial distribution of bacterial mechanosensitive channels on activation (gating). Based on elastic short-range interactions we map this physical process onto an Ising-like model, which enables us to predict the clustering of channels and the effects of clustering on their gating. We conclude that the aggregation of channels and the consequent interactions among them leads to a global cooperative gating behavior with potentially dramatic consequences for the cell.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Complex Systems and Mathematical Biology, King's College, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB243UE, United Kingdom. k.guseva@abdn.ac.uk
authors.forename: Ksenia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Guseva
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thiel
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Booth
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Celso
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grebogi
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Moura
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000502:physiology*; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008956:Models, Chemical
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D007473:Ion Channels