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Two-pore channels open up

Two-pore channels span the membranes of acidic organelles inside cells. A structural and functional analysis reveals secrets about how these channels open to allow ions to pass across the membrane.
  1. Sandip Patel

    1. Sandip Patel is in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK.

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Two-pore channels (TPCs) are an ancient family of ion channels that are unusual because they are found, not at the cell surface, but spanning the membranes of acidic organelles such as endosomes and lysosomes. These organelles mediate biomolecule transport and breakdown, and serve as stores of calcium ions1 (Ca2+). TPCs are key for several organellar functions — releasing Ca2+ into the cytoplasm to control trafficking of material such as receptor proteins and viruses, for instance, and stabilizing junctions with other organelles1,2. They are increasingly being associated with disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, and are therefore emerging as potential therapeutic targets1. Detailed structural information is scant, but advances in cryo-electron microscopy are revolutionizing our ability to study ion channels. In a paper in Nature, She et al.3 use this technique to provide the first detailed view of an animal TPC.

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Nature 556, 38-40 (2018)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-02783-8

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