Atomic-Scale Protein Filters
7 days ago
- #cell biology
- #atomic-scale mechanisms
- #protein filters
- Cells maintain internal order through molecular machines, despite external chaos.
- Cell membranes use hyperspecific proteins to filter molecules, essential for life.
- Aquaporins and potassium ion channels perform energy-free filtration at atomic scales.
- Aquaporins allow water passage while blocking protons, using precise amino acid placement.
- Potassium channels selectively allow K+ ions, rejecting Na+ ions, based on geometry.
- Aquaporins were theorized in 1970 and discovered in 1992 by Peter Agre's team.
- Potassium channels' discovery linked to Hodgkin and Huxley's work on action potentials.
- Structural biology revealed the mechanisms behind these filters' selectivity and speed.
- These protein filters demonstrate how biology solves complex problems with simple atomic arrangements.