Structure of the shaker Kv channel and mechanism of slow C-type inactivation

Abstract

Voltage-activated potassium (Kv) channels open upon membrane depolarization and proceed to spontaneously inactivate. Inactivation controls neuronal firing and serves as a form of short-term memory and is implicated in various human neurological disorders. Inactivation can proceed through two distinct mechanisms: a fast ball-and chain mechanism that blocks the inner pore, and a slower C-type mechanism that disables the ion selectivity filter. However, the structural mechanism underlies the so-called C-type inactivation is still unknown.