title: From membrane tension to channel gating: A principal energy transfer mechanism for mechanosensitive channels.
abstract: Mechanosensitive (MS) channels are evolutionarily conserved membrane proteins that play essential roles in multiple cellular processes, including sensing mechanical forces and regulating osmotic pressure. Bacterial MscL and MscS are two prototypes of MS channels. Numerous structural studies, in combination with biochemical and cellular data, provide valuable insights into the mechanism of energy transfer from membrane tension to gating of the channel. We discuss these data in a unified two-state model of thermodynamics. In addition, we propose a lipid diffusion-mediated mechanism to explain the adaptation phenomenon of MscS.
authors.affiliation: National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Beijing, 100101, China. zhangc@ibp.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Xuejun C
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Beijing, 100101, China.
authors.forename: Zhenfeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Beijing, 100101, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000502:physiology*; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular / Q000502:physiology*; D008566:Membranes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D009997:Osmotic Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D013500:Surface Tension
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels
keywords: gating mechanism; lipid-protein interaction; mechanosensitive channels; membrane tension sensing; osmoregulation