Biophysical Journal 69: 84-93 (1995)
© 1995 the Biophysical Society

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Orientation independence of single-vacancy and single-ion permeability ratios.

Department of Pure and Applied Mathematics, Washington State University, Pullman 99164, USA.

ABSTRACT

Single-vacancy models have been proposed as open channel permeation mechanisms for K+ channels. Single-ion models have been used to describe permeation through Na+ channels. This paper demonstrates that these models have a distinctive symmetry property. Their permeability ratios, measured under biionic conditions, are independent of channel orientation when the reversal potential is zero. This symmetry is a property of general m-site single-vacancy channels, m-site shaking-stack channels, as well as m-site single-ion channels. An experimental finding that the permeability ratios of a channel did not have this symmetry would provide evidence that a single-vacancy or single-ion model is an incorrect or incomplete description of permeation.

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