Temperature-sensitive mutants of MscL mechanosensitive channel.

MscL is a mechanosensitive channel that undergoes a global conformational change upon application of membrane stretching. To elucidate how the structural stability and flexibility occur, we isolated temperature-sensitive (Ts) mutants of Escherichia coli MscL that allowed cell growth at 32°C but not at 42°C. Two Ts mutants, L86P and D127V, were identified.