LAUSR

Mechanosensitive ion channels are gated open and shut by changes in membrane tension enabling the conversion of mechanical stimuli into changes in ionic composition and electrical signalling. However, the precise structural and biophysical mechanisms underlying these processes remain unclear. TREK-2 is a eukaryotic mechanosensitive ion channel that belongs to the Two-Pore Domain (K2P) family of K+ channels and is widely expressed in both the central and peripheral nervous system. I will discuss our recent structural, functional and computational studies which examine how TREK-2 responds to stretch-induced changes in the large lateral forces that vary with depth across the bilayer, and in particular how the asymmetric structure of the channel contributes to this process.