Does the Na channel conduct ions through a water-filled pore or a condensed-state pathway?

A slick, slack pathway through the pore

Slo2.1 and Slo2.2 K+ channels (also called ‘Slick’ and ‘Slack’, respectively) aremembers of an extended gene family of K+ channels defined by the presence of ‘regulator of K+ conduction’ (RCK) domains at their carboxy termini (Yuan et al. 2000, 2003; Santi et al. 2006). RCK domains serve as cytosolic ligand sensors, and are activated by Na+ ions in the case of Slo2 channels. Other members of th...

The behaviour of ions in narrow water-filled pores.

Today, the equilibrium behavior of ions in solution may be predicted with some confidence, essentially because rapid ionic diffusion over small distances ensures homogeneity throughout the solution. Equilibrium concepts such as ionic strength and pH apply. However, when attempting to understand the behavior of ions passing rapidly through narrow pores such as ion channels, no such equilibrium s...

Imbibition Response of Winter Wheat to Water-Filled Pore Space

Reduced temperature and increased bulk density associated with conservation tillage systems cause lower seed germination, seedling emergence, and early growth rates resulting in reduced plant stands. Prediction of the influence of soil condition on seed imbibition through simple soil measurements would help make agronomic decisions such as planting date and/or density. Our objectives were to ev...

The genome of HSV-1 translocates through the nuclear pore as a condensed rod-like structure.

Incoming herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) capsids are known to dock to the nuclear pore complex (NPC) and release their genome. It has remained elusive, however, how the huge viral DNA translocates through the comparatively small NPC channel. In the present study, the interaction of HSV-1 with NPCs was analyzed by atomic force microscopy. In addition to capsids, smaller subviral structures--...

On Nonlinear Water Waves in a Channel