The single-file water transport through a biomimic water channel consisting of a (6,6) carbon nanotube (CNT) with different types of external point charges is studied using molecular dynamics simulations. It is demonstrated that, as in the aquaporins, asymmetrically positioned charges cannot generate robust unidirectional water flow in the CNT. Thermal fluctuation in bulk water competes with charge affinity to steer the water transport, resulting in nonmonotonic flow with intermittent reversal of transport direction. The energetic analysis suggests that the water-water interaction, determined by dipole orientation configuration, influences the transport rate significantly. These findings can provide correct biomimic understanding of water transport properties and will benefit the design of efficient functional nanofluidic devices.
Despite sharing overall sequence and structural similarities, water channel aquaporin 0 (AQP0) transports water more slowly than other aquaporins. Using molecular dynamics simulations of AQP0 and AQP1, we find that there is a sudden decrease in the distribution profile of water density along the pore of AQP0 in the region of residue Tyr23, which significantly disrupts the single file water chain by forming hydrogen bond with permeating water molecules. Comparisons of free-energy and interaction-energy profiles for water conduction between AQP0 and AQP1 indicate that this interruption of the water chain causes a huge energy barrier opposing water translocation through AQP0. We further show that a mutation of Tyr23 to phenylalanine leads to a 2- to 4-fold enhancement in water permeability of AQP0, from (0.5+/-0.2) x 10(-14) cm(3)s(-1) to (1.9+/-0.6) x 10(-14) cm(3)s(-1). Therefore, Tyr23 is a dominate factor leading to the low water permeability in AQP0.
The bacterial mechanosensitive channel of large conductance (MscL) functions as a pressure-relief safety valve to prevent cells from lysing during sudden hypo-osmotic shock. The hydrophobic gate of MscL in the closed state forms a barrier to the permeation of ions and water molecules and can be switched to the open state for releasing solutions and ions. Currently, the gate-constituting residues and the functional role of these residues in the hydrophobic gate of MscL remain elusive and controversial. Here, we employ magic angle spinning solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) techniques and functional assays to investigate the hydrophobic gate of MscL from Methanosarcina acetivorans (Ma-MscL) in lipid bilayers. We obtain chemical shift assignments of ∼70% residues of Ma-MscL and predict its 3D structure. Based on the structural characterization, we identify that the residues I21−T30 in the transmembrane helix 1 constitute the hydrophobic gate by detecting water distributions in the transmembrane pore using ssNMR H/D exchange and water-edited experiments. By using ssNMR structural characterization and functional assays, we reveal that the packing of aromatic rings of F23 in each subunit of Ma-MscL is critical to the hydrophobic gate, and hydrophilic substitutions of the other functionally important residues A22 and G26 modulate channel gating by attenuating hydrophobicity of constriction of F23.
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