Publication

Tuning Rectification and Gating in Biological Nanopores Through Lumen Charge Mutation

2026

Abstract

β-barrel nanopores are involved in crucial biological processes, from ATP export in mitochondria to antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria, and represent a promising platform for emerging sequencing technologies. However, in contrast to ion channels, the understanding of the fundamental principles governing ion transport through these nanopores remains in its early stages. In this chapter, we describe the production and mutation of three major biological nanopores-aerolysin, MspA, and α-HL-as well as experimental approaches to elucidate ion transport mechanisms in these biological nanopores. Specifically, we provide tools to characterize two distinct nonlinear phenomena: open-pore rectification and gating, as well as guidelines to tune these phenomena to achieve a certain rectification or gating behavior.

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/1f4cc5e1-7d80-448d-9855-448259c3ad8f

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2026

Abstract

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/1f4cc5e1-7d80-448d-9855-448259c3ad8f

About this result

Related concepts (32)

Voltage-gated ion channel

Voltage-gated ion channels are a class of transmembrane proteins that form ion channels that are activated by changes in the electrical membrane potential near the channel. The membrane potential alters the conformation of the channel proteins, regulating their opening and closing. Cell membranes are generally impermeable to ions, thus they must diffuse through the membrane through transmembrane protein channels. They have a crucial role in excitable cells such as neuronal and muscle tissues, allowing a rapid and co-ordinated depolarization in response to triggering voltage change.

Ion channel

Ion channels are pore-forming membrane proteins that allow ions to pass through the channel pore. Their functions include establishing a resting membrane potential, shaping action potentials and other electrical signals by gating the flow of ions across the cell membrane, controlling the flow of ions across secretory and epithelial cells, and regulating cell volume. Ion channels are present in the membranes of all cells. Ion channels are one of the two classes of ionophoric proteins, the other being ion transporters.

Gram-negative bacteria

Gram-negative bacteria are bacteria that do not retain the crystal violet stain used in the Gram staining method of bacterial differentiation. They are characterized by their cell envelopes, which are composed of a thin peptidoglycan cell wall sandwiched between an inner cytoplasmic cell membrane and a bacterial outer membrane. Gram-negative bacteria are found in virtually all environments on Earth that support life.

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Tuning Rectification and Gating in Biological Nanopores Through Lumen Charge Mutation

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