PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Vinson, Valda TI - Controlling Chloride Channels AID - 10.1126/scisignal.3146ec338 DP - 2010 Nov 02 TA - Science Signaling PG - ec338--ec338 VI - 3 IP - 146 4099 - http://stke.sciencemag.org/content/3/146/ec338.short 4100 - http://stke.sciencemag.org/content/3/146/ec338.full SO - Sci. Signal.2010 Nov 02; 3 AB - The CLC proteins are a large family of channels and transporters that transfer chloride ions across cell membranes. Although structures of two prokaryotic CLCs have been determined, these do not include the cytoplasmic regulatory domains found in eukaryotic transporters, and the structures do not reveal the mechanism of Cl–/H+–coupled transport. L. Feng et al. (see the Perspective by Mindell) described the structure of a eukaryotic CLC protein and found that the regulatory domains interacted closely with the transmembrane domain so that conformational changes are transmitted to the ion pathway. A gating glutamate in the eukaryote transporter is in a different conformation to prokaryotic structures, explaining the 2:1 stoichiometry of Cl–/H+ exchange in eukaryotes. L. Feng, E. B. Campbell, Y. Hsiung, R. MacKinnon, Structure of a eukaryotic CLC transporter defines an intermediate state in the transport cycle. Science 330, 635–641 (2010). [Abstract] [Full Text] J. A. Mindell, The Tao of chloride transporter structure. Science 330, 601–602 (2010). [Abstract] [Full Text]