Asynchronous motion and transport of K+ in the KcsA selectivity filter

K. Pawełek, John J. Kozak and Z.J. Grzywna

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2010, vol. 389, issue 16, 3013-3022

Abstract: A recently proposed Markovian model of K+ ion transport through the selectivity filter of the KcsA bacterial channel is generalized. This generalization allows a specific estimate to be made of the current through the channel which is found to be consistent with experimentally determined values [11.0 (+/−) 0.1 pA]. A further aspect of the generalization presented here is the quantification of the difference of synchronous vs. asynchronous motion of the K+ ions and water molecules in the channel. Considering excluded volume effects only, the difference in mean passage time through the channel is in the range 50%–75%; on the basis of calculations reported here, we argue that this difference will be even more pronounced when K+/ K+ Coulombic repulsions and electrostatic attractive interactions between K+ ions and the carbonyl groups lining the channel are taken into account.

Keywords: Markov chain theory; Multi-ion permeation channels; Asynchronous motion; Selectivity filter (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:389:y:2010:i:16:p:3013-3022

DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2010.03.046

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