Visualization of a water-selective pore by electron crystallography in vitreous ice

G Ren, VS Reddy, A Cheng… - Proceedings of the …, 2001 - National Acad Sciences
G Ren, VS Reddy, A Cheng, P Melnyk, AK Mitra
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2001National Acad Sciences
The water-selective pathway through the aquaporin-1 membrane channel has been
visualized by fitting an atomic model to a 3.7-Å resolution three-dimensional density map.
This map was determined by analyzing images and electron diffraction patterns of lipid-
reconstituted two-dimensional crystals of aquaporin-1 preserved in vitrified buffer in the
absence of any additive. The aqueous pathway is characterized by a size-selective pore that
is≈ 4.0±0.5 Å in diameter, spans a length of≈ 18Å, and bends by≈ 25° as it traverses the …
The water-selective pathway through the aquaporin-1 membrane channel has been visualized by fitting an atomic model to a 3.7-Å resolution three-dimensional density map. This map was determined by analyzing images and electron diffraction patterns of lipid-reconstituted two-dimensional crystals of aquaporin-1 preserved in vitrified buffer in the absence of any additive. The aqueous pathway is characterized by a size-selective pore that is ≈4.0 ± 0.5Å in diameter, spans a length of ≈18Å, and bends by ≈25° as it traverses the bilayer. This narrow pore is connected by wide, funnel-shaped openings at the extracellular and cytoplasmic faces. The size-selective pore is outlined mostly by hydrophobic residues, resulting in a relatively inert pathway conducive to diffusion-limited water flow. The apex of the curved pore is close to the locations of the in-plane pseudo-2-fold symmetry axis that relates the N- and C-terminal halves and the conserved, functionally important N76 and N192 residues.
National Acad Sciences