Water molecules control inactivation and recovery of potassium channels

(University of Chicago Medical Center) Just 12 molecules of water cause the long post-activation recovery period required by potassium ion channels before they can function again. Using molecular simulations that modeled a potassium channel and its immediate cellular environment, atom for atom, University of Chicago scientists have revealed this new mechanism in the function of a nearly universal biological structure, with implications ranging from fundamental biology to the design of pharmaceuticals. Their findings were published online July 28 in Nature.
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news