Potassium channels allow the passage of potassium ions across membranes at rates approaching the diffusion limit while maintaining exquisite selectivity between ion species. Single-molecule studies now reveal that the selectivity filter of these proteins transitions between different conformations.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
$29.99 / 30 days
cancel any time
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Zhou, Y., Morais-Cabral, J. H., Kaufman, A. & MacKinnon, R. Nature 414, 43–48 (2001).
Wang, S., Lee, S.-J., Maksaev, G., Fang, C. & Nichols, C. G. Nat. Chem. Biol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-019-0240-7 (2019).
Zhou, Y. & MacKinnon, R. J. Mol. Biol. 333, 965–975 (2003).
Roux, B. Essays Biochem. 61, 201–209 (2017).
Lenaeus, M. J., Burdette, D., Wagner, T., Focia, P. J. & Gross, A. Biochemistry 53, 5365–5373 (2014).
Derebe, M. G. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 108, 598–602 (2011).
Lockless, S. W. J. Gen. Physiol. 146, 3–13 (2015).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The author declares no competing interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gross, A. A flexible filter maintains a tight grip. Nat Chem Biol 15, 319–320 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-019-0248-z
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-019-0248-z