| The Stroud Lab recently investigated the function and determined
the atomic structure of the bacterial E.coli glycerol channel.
As expected, the protein contains a narrow tunnel, demonstrating
that the glycerol channel works like a sieve. It allows small
molecules to fit through and blocks larger molecules. Also found
was a chain of three glycerol molecules that bind at three different
sites inside the channel. This is considered as an overlay of
multiple snapshots, resembling a glycerol molecule hopping from
one site to another during its passage through the channel. The
intermediate binding and unbinding events allow the filter to
distinguish different types of small molecules, i.e. to reject
potentially toxic molecules and let pass nutrient molecules. |
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