Towards Molecular Biophysics of Ion Channels: (Progress in cell research)

This volume is based on the proceedings of the 19th Taniguchi symposium in biophysics held at Nagoya, Japan, organized to help find a path towards the molecular biophysics of the ion channel. The 1990s have seen much progress in the structure-function study of ion channels. Many scientists now see their ultimate goal as an understanding of ion channel functions based on the dynamics of channel molecules. Parts I and II examine the combination of electrophysiology and gene technology that has been demonstrated through the structure-function of ion channels. Parts IV and V show scientific efforts to depict an essence common to various ion channels and to understand the physical logic of ion channel functioning. Part III indicates paths still to be traced in channel engineering, a method where synthetic molecules could realize channel functions.

Table of Contents:
Part I. Structure-Function of Natural Ion Channels 1: Pore-related Topics. Pore structure of voltage-gated ion channels (S.H. Heinemann). Primary structure and functional expression of an inward rectifier potassium channel and a G-protein-coupled muscarinic potassium channel (Y. Kubo et al) . Molecular characterization and functional analysis of NMDA receptors (M. Masu et al). The effects of ryanodine on the calcium channels in sarcoplasmic reticulum (M. Kasai et al). Cryo-electron microscopy of ion channels and pumps (C. Toyoshima, H. Ogawa). Part II. Structure-Function of Natural Ion Channels 2: Gating-related Topics. Structural determinants of agonist and antagonist binding in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (S.M. Sine et al). Properties of charge movement and ionic conductance of shaker K + channels (E. Stefani et al). How is voltage coupled to channel opening in shaker K + channels? (N.E. Schoppa et al.). Evolution of skeletal muscle excitation-contraction coupling (I. Inoue et al). Mechanical basis of sensory transduction and adaptation in vertebrate hair cells (J.A. Assad, D.P. Corey). Mechanosensitive ion channels: microscopic vs. macroscopic responses (M. Sokabe et al). Part III. Artificial Ion Channels: Channel Engineering. Synthetic peptide models of ion channel proteins (K.S. Akerfeldt at al). Artificial non-peptide single ion channels (Y. Kobuke et al). Voltage-dependent gramicidin channels (S. Oiki et al). Part IV. Structure Analysis of Ion Channels by Molecular Simulation. Structural models of the outer vestibules and selectivity filters of Na + , Ca 2+ , and K + channels (H.R. Guy, S.R. Durell). Molecular dynamics simulation of outer membrane porins in Escherichia coli (A. Suenaga et al.). Possible existence of a tubular single-stranded helix of poly-l-amino acids (H. Monoi). Part V. Theoretical Approaches to Ion Permeation and Gating. Model calculations of the intrinsic reaction coordinate for the ion permeation of sodium channels (A. Imamura et al). Influence of small perturbations on the conductance of an ion channel (B. Roux, T.B. Woolf). Nonequilibrium thermodynamics of transports in ion channels (P.C. Chen). Electrostatic influences on ion-water correlations in ion channels (P.C. Jordan et al). Theoretical approaches to ion channel dynamics and the first order reaction (H. Kijima, S. Kijima).