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Nature Chemical Biology 2, 128–130 (1 March 2006) | doi:10.1038/nchembio0306-128

Watching single protons bind

Myles H Akabas

Many integral membrane proteins contain ionizable amino acids in their transmembrane domains. To understand the functional role of these protonatable side chains, the factors that determine the ionization state and the spread of the electrical potential through the protein interior must be elucidated.