Combining Computational and Experimental Approaches to Characterize Ion Channels and Transporters

Download or read book Combining Computational and Experimental Approaches to Characterize Ion Channels and Transporters written by Christoph Fahlke and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2023-11-28 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Electrical signals in living cells arise from ion channels, which cause rapid changes of the membrane potential by the selective passage of certain ions across the membrane, and transporters, which generate ion gradients on a slower time scale and thus provide the energetic basis for the passive ion flux through channels. Ion channels and transporters are expressed in almost every living cell and fulfil a plethora of distinct cellular functions. An increasing number of human diseases are caused by dysfunctional ion channels or transporters makes these proteins important targets for pharmaceutical interventions. Understanding the structural dynamics of ion channels and transporters at atomic resolution will provide new insight into their function and represents an important step towards designing blockers or activators to specifically modulate their function as therapeutic option in diseases.