Key result
Attaching charged adducts to cysteines revealed that only native charge-carrying residues can translocate charges through the membrane-electric field, a mechanism inconsistent with the paddle model.
Charge movement in potassium channels involves highly specialized interactions between the voltage sensor and other regions of the protein, challenging the 'voltage-sensor paddle' model.
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Challenges paddle model for voltage sensing; leaves open mechanisms in cardiac Na/K channels.
Ahern et al. (2004) studied this question. Attaching charged adducts to cysteines in the putative voltage-sensor paddle of Shaker potassium channels vs. Native channel residues was evaluated on Fractional changes in the total gating charge from gating currents. Attaching charged adducts to cysteines revealed that only native charge-carrying residues can translocate charges through the membrane-electric field, a mechanism inconsistent with the paddle model.
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