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Nature 460, 580-581 (30 July 2009) | doi:10.1038/460580a; Published online 29 July 2009

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Structural biology: Trimeric ion-channel design

Shai D. Silberberg1 & Kenton J. Swartz1

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Cavernous chambers, intricate passages, a gate with a curious lock — the structure of an ATP-activated ion channel reveals its architecture. And this intriguing interior design is found in another type of ion channel too.

Ion channels are membrane-protein complexes that allow the passage of ions into and out of cells. One type of ion channel, the P2X receptor channel1, 2, is activated by extracellular ATP, the nucleotide more commonly known for providing cells with energy.

  1. Shai D. Silberberg and Kenton J. Swartz are in the Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
    Email: shai.silberberg@nih.gov; Email: kenton.swartz@nih.gov

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