Role of the membrane for mechanosensing by tethered channels
arXiv:1603.05751 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.258101
Abstract
Biologically important membrane channels are gated by force at attached tethers. Here, we generically characterize the non-trivial interplay of force, membrane tension, and channel deformations that can affect gating. A central finding is that minute conical channel deformation under force leads to significant energy release during opening. We also calculate channel-channel interactions and show that they can amplify force sensitivity of tethered channels.