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Structural biology

Calcium-activated proteins visualized

Nature volume 516, pages 176–178 (2014)Cite this article

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The first crystal structures of bestrophin and lipid scramblase proteins cast light on how these protein families transport very different substrates across membranes, yet are both activated by calcium ions. See Articles p.207 & p.213

Blood clotting, olfaction and vision are just a few of the many physiological processes regulated by proteins called calcium-activated chloride channels and lipid scramblases. These proteins reside in the cell membrane and control the transport of chloride ions and lipids across this otherwise impermeable barrier. The machinery underlying these activities remained unknown for decades until research by several groups over the past 12 years showed that they are at least partially comprised of the TMEM16 and bestrophin families of proteins1,2,3,4,5,6,7. In two papers published in this issue, Brunner et al.8 (page 207) and Kane Dickson et al.9 (page 213) report the breakthrough determination of the three-dimensional structures of two of these proteins.

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Figure 1: Cartoons of an activated lipid scramblase and a chloride channel.

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  1. Matt Whorton is at the Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239-3098, USA.,

    Matt Whorton

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Correspondence to Matt Whorton.

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Whorton, M. Calcium-activated proteins visualized. Nature 516, 176–178 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13944

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