Advances in ion channel structure

Abstract

Nearly 45 years have elapsed between the first reports of high-resolution structures of hemoglobin and myoglobin and the recent breakthroughs in high-resolution structures of ion-selective channels. Now, in a mere five years, we suddenly have crystal structures of channel proteins from several distinct functional classes (and a Nobel Prize to Rod MacKinnon and Peter Agre). This marks a major turning point in ion channel research, providing striking insights into the molecular basis of electrical signaling. Before these breakthroughs, researchers of ion channels were deeply absorbed with the question of what these molecules look like. Now that we are starting to see some details, a new level of understanding of excitable membranes is emerging.