Structure of the mechanosensitive OSCA channels

Mechanosensitive ion channels convert mechanical stimuli into a flow of ions. These channels are widely distributed from bacteria to higher plants and humans, and are involved in many crucial physiological processes. Here we show that two members of the OSCA protein family in Arabidopsis thaliana, n...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature structural & molecular biology Vol. 25; no. 9; pp. 850 - 858
Main Authors: Zhang, Mingfeng, Wang, Dali, Kang, Yunlu, Wu, Jing-Xiang, Yao, Fuqiang, Pan, Chengfang, Yan, Zhiqiang, Song, Chen, Chen, Lei
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States Nature Publishing Group 01.09.2018
Subjects:
Dimers
Electron microscopy
Ion channels
Ions
Mechanical stimuli
Proteins
Structural analysis
ISSN:1545-9993, 1545-9985, 1545-9985
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Mechanosensitive ion channels convert mechanical stimuli into a flow of ions. These channels are widely distributed from bacteria to higher plants and humans, and are involved in many crucial physiological processes. Here we show that two members of the OSCA protein family in Arabidopsis thaliana, namely AtOSCA1.1 and AtOSCA3.1, belong to a new class of mechanosensitive ion channels. We solve the structure of the AtOSCA1.1 channel at 3.5-Å resolution and AtOSCA3.1 at 4.8-Å resolution by cryo-electron microscopy. OSCA channels are symmetric dimers that are mediated by cytosolic inter-subunit interactions. Strikingly, they have structural similarity to the mammalian TMEM16 family proteins. Our structural analysis accompanied with electrophysiological studies identifies the ion permeation pathway within each subunit and suggests a conformational change model for activation.
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ISSN:1545-9993
1545-9985
1545-9985
DOI:10.1038/s41594-018-0117-6