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Greasing the gears of potassium channels

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Enzymatic conversion of sphingomyelin to ceramide-1-phosphate in the external leaflet of the cellular membrane has now been shown to markedly facilitate opening of classical voltage-activated potassium channels. This discovery raises the possibility that lipids may have more prominent roles in the gating mechanism of these important ion channels than was previously appreciated.

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Figure 1: Conversion of sphingomyelin to ceramide-1-phosphate and interaction of sphingomyelin with Kv channels.

Katie Ris

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section and Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, 20892, Maryland, USA

    Kenton J Swartz

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  1. Kenton J Swartz
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Swartz, K. Greasing the gears of potassium channels. Nat Chem Biol 2, 401–402 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio0806-401

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio0806-401

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