Jianhan Chen, professor of chemistry and IALS translational cohire, and colleagues have revealed new insights into the body’s electrical communication system by studying a key cellular ion channel known as the BK (big potassium) channel.
Building on their previous discovery that the BK channel uses a unique hydrophobic “soft gate” to regulate water and ion flow, the team has now demonstrated that this gate is naturally leaky—it can reduce but never fully stop potassium ions from passing through and can result in maladies like epilepsy and hypertension. These new findings were recently published in PRX Life.
“In 2018, we showed that BK channels have a unique property,” says UMass Amherst Professor of Chemistry Jianhan Chen. Channels are composed of two parts: a filter, and a pore. “The pore of BK is very hydrophobic, or water-repellent,” says Chen. “When the channel diameter decreases below a particular threshold, it drives out liquid water and creates a vapor barrier, blocking the flow of potassium ions.”