title: Artificial modulation of the gating behavior of a K+ channel in a KvAP-DNA chimera.
abstract: We present experiments where the gating behavior of a voltage-gated ion channel is modulated by artificial ligand binding. We construct a channel-DNA chimera with the KvAP potassium channel reconstituted in an artificial membrane. The channel is functional and the single channel ion conductivity unperturbed by the presence of the DNA. However, the channel opening probability vs. bias voltage, i.e., the gating, can be shifted considerably by the electrostatic force between the charges on the DNA and the voltage sensing domain of the protein. Different hybridization states of the chimera DNA thus lead to different response curves of the channel.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zocchi
mesh_terms: D041522:Aeropyrum; D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D042541:Intracellular Space / Q000378:metabolism; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000502:physiology*; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000378:metabolism; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D055672:Static Electricity
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D024642:Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004247:DNA