Reconstitution and in-vitro activation of the prokaryotic pentameric ligand-gated ion channel ELIC

TL;DRAbstract

Pentameric ligand- gated ion channels are a large class of ion channels that aid in signal transduction between cells.
\nEukaryotic members of this family include the cation- selective nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) and the anion- selective
\nγ- aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor. Signal transduction and activation follow two processes: first, ligand binds to the
\nchannel; and second, a conformational change occurs that leads to channel opening. The ligand binding interactions have
\nbeen elucidated in numerous studies. However, the subsequent conformational changes that lead to channel opening remain
\nelusive. Recently, prokaryotic members of this ion channel family were isolated, and high- resoln. structures obtained. An
\nactivation mechanism was proposed based on the assignment of these structures to putative 'open' and 'closed' states.
\nActivation, however, is dynamic; initiated with ligand binding, and followed by conformational changes tha

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