Structure of the voltage dependent anion channel: state of the art

摘要: The eukaryotic porin or Voltage Dependent Anion-selective Channels (VDAC) is the protein forming aqueous pore channel in mitochondrial outer membrane. It can modulate energy-dependent metabolism of cell a diffusion barrier to ions, adenine-nucleotides and other metabolites it probably involved regulation apoptotic-relevant events. For these reasons, VDAC co-responsibility unphysiological events leading important pathologies such as onset sustainment cancer has been envisaged very early. knowledge atomic structure thus relevant step design modern drugs acting upon function its related apoptotic balance. This goal, despite many efforts, not gained until now. Several predictive descriptive techniques have employed obtain models representations pore-structure. results obtained are reported this review. emerging picture arising from coherent sufficiently informative. From efforts appears that functionally monomeric but cluster tight regular groups; asymmetric with larger exposed domains on cytosolic side membrane; diameter between 2.5-3.0 nm apparently free obstructions (in open state); wall mainly formed by typical amphipathic beta-strands; mobile components (the N-terminal ?) functional relevance regulation.