Publications by authors named "Vanesa Racigh"
Charge discrimination in P2X receptors occurs in two stages. The first stage takes place in the extracellular vestibule. The second one happens as the ions travel across the pore.
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- P2X receptors are ion channels in mammalian cell membranes that open when ATP binds to them, but the specific sequence of changes leading to this opening is not fully understood.
- The research uses umbrella sampling simulations to explore how ATP binds to the P2X4 receptor, revealing a metastable state that helps facilitate this binding.
- This new understanding suggests a revised mechanism for how ATP is captured by P2X4 receptors, involving stabilizing interactions with positively charged residues.
P2X receptors are a group of trimeric cationic channels that are activated by adenosine 5'-triphosphate. They perform critical roles in the membranes of mammalian cells, and their improper functioning is associated with numerous diseases. Despite the vast amount of research devoted to them, several aspects of their operation are currently unclear, including the causes of their charge selectivity.
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