-
Cover Image
Cover Image
Cover picture: Voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels as targets for animal toxins and therapeutics. For illustrative purposes, NavAb is colored by domain according to a pseudotetrameric arrangement expected for eukaryotic Nav channels. Representative classes of peptide toxins (α, μ, and β), a small molecule toxin (tetrodotoxin [TTX]), as well select small molecule drugs (lidocaine and benzocaine) are represented with arrows pointing to their presumed canonical binding sites and access routes (see Review by Ahern et al., 1–24).
- PDF Icon PDF LinkTable of Contents
- PDF Icon PDF LinkEditorial Board
Review
Research Articles
Gating the glutamate gate of CLC-2 chloride channel by pore occupancy
Intracellular permeant anions, and not extracellular protons, are the predominant driver of fast gating in the hyperpolarization-activated CLC-2 chloride channel.
R4496C RyR2 mutation impairs atrial and ventricular contractility
A ryanodine receptor 2 mutation associated with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia renders cardiomyocytes incapable of mediating a positive inotropic response.
Nano-imaging of the beating mouse heart in vivo: Importance of sarcomere dynamics, as opposed to sarcomere length per se, in the regulation of cardiac function
¡Vive la différence! In cardiac contraction, the reduction in sarcomere length—rather than length itself—determines contractile force.
High membrane permeability for melatonin
Cell-based and modeling studies support a mechanism of passive membrane diffusion for secretion of melatonin from the pineal gland.
Methods and Approaches
bSUM: A bead-supported unilamellar membrane system facilitating unidirectional insertion of membrane proteins into giant vesicles
KvAP conjugated to beads via a C-terminal His-tag seeds formation of a supported bilayer with unidirectional channel orientation for functional studies.
Zinc flexes its muscle: Correcting a novel analysis of calcium for zinc interference uncovers a method to measure zinc
To improve your calcium estimates, measure zinc!
