1 research outputs found
Mechano-Sensitive Synthetic Ion Channels
Mechanical
stress is a ubiquitous stimulus sensed by membrane proteins,
but rarely by synthetic molecules. Inspired by mechano-sensitive ion
channels found in cell membranes, tension-responsive transmembrane
multiblock amphiphiles were developed. In membranes, a single-transmembrane
amphiphile responds to both expanding and contracting tensions to
weaken and strengthen the stacking of membrane-spanning units, respectively,
and ion transportation is triggered by expanding tension to form a
supramolecular channel, while little transportation is observed under
a tensionless condition. In contrast, a three-transmembrane amphiphile
showed little spectroscopic response to tensions, likely due to weaker
stacking of membrane-spanning units than in the single-transmembrane
amphiphile. Nevertheless, the three-transmembrane amphiphile shows
ion transportation by forming a unimolecular channel even under a
tensionless condition, and the ion-transporting activity decreased
with expanding tension. Interestingly, the estimated operating force
of these synthetic systems was comparable to that of the mechano-sensitive
proteins. This study opens the door toward new mechano-sensitive molecular
devices