ION CHANNELS Voltage-Gated Proton Channel

Voltage sensor domains comprise four transmembrane segments (S1 to S4) and are responsible for sensing changes in membrane potential and controlling gating of the pore domain (S5 and S6) in voltage-gated ion channels. Sasaki et al. (see the Perspective by Miller) have identified a protein consisting primarily of a voltage-sensor domain (VSD) that appears to mediate voltage-gated proton currents. The proton currents exhibit pH-dependent gating and are sensitive to zinc ion concentrations, features that are characteristic of voltage-gated proton channels.

M. Sasaki, M. Takagi, Y. Okamura, A voltage sensor-domain protein is a voltage-gated proton channel. Science 312, 589-592 (2006). [Abstract] [Full Text]

C. Miller, Lonely voltage sensor seeks protons for permeation. Science 312, 534-535 (2006). [Summary] [Full Text]

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