A molecular switch controls the impact of cholesterol on a Kir channel.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 35333652.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1073/pnas.2109431119 and PMC identifier 9060494.
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Abstract
SignificanceCholesterol is one of the main components found in plasma membranes and is involved in lipid-dependent signaling enabled by integral membrane proteins such as inwardly rectifying potassium (Kir) channels. Similar to other ion channels, most of the Kir channels are down-regulated by cholesterol. One of the very few notable exceptions is Kir3.4, which is up-regulated by this important lipid. Here, we discovered and characterized a molecular switch that controls the impact (up-regulation vs. down-regulation) of cholesterol on Kir3.4. Our results provide a detailed molecular mechanism of tunable cholesterol regulation of a potassium channel.
Medical subject headings
- Cholesterol
- G Protein-Coupled Inwardly-Rectifying Potassium Channels