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KMID : 1150720150040030142
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Integrative Medicine Research
2015 Volume.4 No. 3 p.142 ~ p.146
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The direct modulatory activity of zinc toward ion channels
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Noh Su-Jin
Lee Sung-Ryul
Jeong Yu-Jeong
Ko Kyung-Soo
Rhee Byoung-Doo
Kim Na-Ri
Han Jin
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Abstract
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The divalent zinc ion is a cation that plays an indispensable role as a structural constituent of numerous proteins, including enzymes and transcription factors. Recently, it has been suggested that zinc also plays a dynamic role in extracellular and intracellular signaling as well. Ion channels are pore-forming proteins that control the flow of specific ions across the membrane, which is important to maintain ion gradients. In this review, we outline the modulatory effect of zinc on the activities of several ion channels through direct binding of zinc into histidine, cysteine, aspartate, and glutamate moieties of channel proteins. The binding of zinc to ion channels results in the activation or inhibition of the channel due to conformational changes. These novel aspects of ion-channel activity modulation by zinc provide new insights into the physiological regulation of ion channels.
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KEYWORD
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conformational change, ion channel, zinc, zinc binding
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