1.D.204. The Synthetic Potassium Ion Channel (SPIC) Family
Different types of natural K+ channels share similar core modules and cation permeability characteristics. Xin et al. 2022 developed novel artificial K+ channels by rebuilding the core modules of natural K+ channels in artificial systems. These channels displayed high selectivity for K+ over Na+ and exhibited a selectivity sequence of K+ over Rb+ during the transport process, consistent with the cation permeability characteristics of natural K+ channels. These artificial channels can be efficiently inserted into cell membranes and mediate the transmembrane transport of K+, disrupting the cellular K+ homeostasis and triggering apoptosis of cells. Thus, by rebuilding the core modules of natural K+ channels in artificial systems, the structures, transport behaviors, and physiological functions of natural K+ channels can be mimicked in synthetic channels (Xin et al. 2022).