While mechanobiological processes employ diverse mechanisms, at their heart are force-
induced perturbations in the structure and dynamics of molecules capable of triggering …

All cells, including microbes, detect and respond to mechanical forces, of which osmotic
pressure is most ancient and universal. Channel proteins have evolved such that they can …

Pentameric ligand-gated ion channels from the Cys-loop family mediate fast chemo-
electrical transduction,,, but the mechanisms of ion permeation and gating of these …

Bacteria represent one of the most evolutionarily successful groups of organisms to inhabit
Earth. Their world is awash with mechanical cues, probably the most ancient form of which …

The ability of proteins to sense membrane tension is pervasive in biology. A higher-
resolution structure of the Escherichia coli small-conductance mechanosensitive channel …

Molecular dynamics simulations of membrane proteins are making rapid progress, because
of new high-resolution structures, advances in computer hardware and atomistic simulation …

In reviewing the structures of membrane proteins determined up to the end of 2009, we
present in words and pictures the most informative examples from each family. We group the …

Membrane transport constitutes one of the most fundamental processes in all living cells
with proteins as major players. Proteins as channels provide highly selective diffusive …

The mechanosensitive channel of small conductance (MscS) protects bacteria against
hypoosmotic shock. It can sense the tension in the surrounding membrane and releases …

How ion channels are gated to regulate ion flux in and out of cells is the subject of intense
interest. The Escherichia coli mechanosensitive channel, MscS, opens to allow rapid ion …