Chloride channels articles from across Nature Portfolio

Mapping dicofol resistance in the spider mite Tetranychus urticae shows that diphenylcarbinols like dicofol act as mite-specific agonists of glutamate-gated chloride channels, providing valuable insights for selective pest control strategies.

TMEM16F is a Ca²⁺ activated ion channel and lipid scramblase involved in cell fusion. Here authors determine cryo-EM structures of TMEM16F with or without bound blockers, such as the FDA-approved drug niclosamide.

AK-42 was reported as a specific inhibitor of ClC-2 but its working mechanism is not clear. Here authors report cryo-EM structures of apo ClC-2 and in complex with AK-42, revealing how it inhibits ClC-2 specifically.

A structure–function analysis of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator shows its two nucleotide-binding domains dimerize before channel opening, and reveals a mechanism through which conformational changes in the channel regulate chloride conductance.

The structure of a heteromeric volume-regulated LRRC8A/C channel shows a hexameric assembly of four clustered A subunits interspersed by two C subunits, which increase the mobility of the protein, thus facilitating channel activation.

CLC-type channels selectively transport Cl− across biological membranes, but it is unclear how discrimination between anions is maintained. Here, authors use a combination of non-natural amino acid substitutions, electrophysiology, and molecular dynamics simulations to determine Cl⁻ specificity within this family of ion channels.

A study in this issue finds that under conditions of intense activity at specific inhibitory synapses, the voltage gated Cl⁻ channel CIC-2 is vital for allowing efflux of accumulated internal Cl⁻.