PubMed · 1378732
Zervamicins, a structurally characterised peptide model for membrane ion channels.
Abstract
Voltage dependent membrane channels are formed by the zervamicins, a group of alpha-aminoisobutyric acid containing peptides. The role of polar residues like Thr, Gln and Hyp in promoting helical bundle formation is established by dramatically reduced channel lifetimes for a synthetic apolar analog. Crystal structures of Leu1-zervamicin reveal association of bent helices. Polar contacts between convex faces result in an 'hour glass' like arrangement of an aqueous channel with a central constriction. The structure suggests that gating mechanisms may involve movement of the Gln11 carboxamide group. Gln3 may play a role in modulating the size of the channel mouth.
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S Agarwalla, I R Mellor, M S Sansom, I L Karle, J L Flippen-Anderson, K Uma, K Krishna, M Sukumar, P Balaram. 1992-07-15. Zervamicins, a structurally characterised peptide model for membrane ion channels.. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0006-291x(05)80768-5
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