Boris Martinac - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Boris Martinac

European Biophysics Journal, Apr 6, 2005

Frontiers in Pharmacology, Nov 19, 2021

Biophysical Journal, 2015

Advances in Biological Chemistry, 2012

Springer series in biophysics, 2008

Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Feb 4, 2021

Frontiers in Chemistry

The bacterial mechanosensitive channel of large conductance MscL is activated exclusively by incr... more The bacterial mechanosensitive channel of large conductance MscL is activated exclusively by increased tension in the membrane bilayer. Despite many proposed models for MscL opening, its precise mechano-gating mechanism, particularly how the received force at the tension sensor transmits to the gate remains incomplete. Previous studies have shown that along with amphipathic N-terminus located near the cytoplasmic surface of the membrane, Phe78 residue near the outer surface also acts as a “tension sensor,” while Gly22 is a central constituent of the “hydrophobic gate.” Present study focused on elucidating the force transmission mechanism from the sensor Phe78 in the outer transmembrane helix (TM2) to the gate in the inner transmembrane helix (TM1) of MscL by applying the patch clamp and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to the wild type MscL channel and its single mutants at the sensor (F78N), the gate (G22N) and their combination (G22N/F78N) double mutant. F78N MscL resulted in a...

Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine

Arterial dissections, which involve an abrupt tear in the wall of a major artery resulting in the... more Arterial dissections, which involve an abrupt tear in the wall of a major artery resulting in the intramural accumulation of blood, are a family of catastrophic disorders causing major, potentially fatal sequelae. Involving diverse vascular beds, including the aorta or coronary, cervical, pulmonary, and visceral arteries, each type of dissection is devastating in its own way. Traditionally they have been studied in isolation, rather than collectively, owing largely to the distinct clinical consequences of dissections in different anatomical locations – such as stroke, myocardial infarction, and renal failure. Here, we review the shared and unique features of these arteriopathies to provide a better understanding of this family of disorders. Arterial dissections occur commonly in the young to middle-aged, and often in conjunction with hypertension and/or migraine; the latter suggesting they are part of a generalized vasculopathy. Genetic studies as well as cellular and molecular inve...

Mechanosensitive (MS) ion channels have been documented in cells belonging to a wide variety of p... more Mechanosensitive (MS) ion channels have been documented in cells belonging to a wide variety of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms (Hamill & Martinac, 2001). The channels show great diversity in their conductance, selectivity and voltage dependence, while sharing the property of being gated by mechanical force exerted on cell membranes. They act as membrane-embedded mechanoelectrical switches, which open in response to lipid bilayer deformations. This process is critical to the response of living organisms to direct physical stimulation, as in touch, hearing, osmoregulation and other physiological responses. In prokaryotes MS channels were first documented in Bacteria and later in Archaea. Among prokaryotic MS channels studied to date, the best characterized are the MS channels of E. coli, which has three types of MS channels based on their conductance and sensitivity to applied pressure: MscM (M for mini), MscS (S for small) and MscL (L for large). Bacterial MS channels were the ...

Reference Module in Life Sciences, 2017

Mechanosensory transduction is a fundamental process by which living cells convert environmental ... more Mechanosensory transduction is a fundamental process by which living cells convert environmental mechanical stimuli into relevant biological signals. This article highlights the major progress that has been achieved in studies of mechanosensitive (MS) channels, which play a prominent role in numerous mechanotransduction processes. We follow the history of MS channels from their conception to the determination of their molecular identity in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. In the first section we focus on mechanotransduction in microbial and plant cells and describe briefly the structure, function, gating mechanism and pharmacology of MS channels in these cells. In the second part we focus on the diversity of MS channels linked to mechanosensory transduction in multicellular organisms. We discuss the molecular models that have been put forward to explain MS channel activation, including the contributions of the bilayer and structural scaffold proteins, and highlight the mysteries that are yet to be solved. As well as providing information on general mechanisms of ion channel mechanosensitivity we look at some special cases including what is known about the role of MS channels in auditory transduction and the cardiovascular system. We conclude by highlighting the role that MS channels play in the pathology of a wide array of both hereditary and multifactorial diseases and discuss why this structurally diverse group of channels encompasses a number of viable and attractive pharmaceutical targets.

Biophysical Journal, 2021

Biophysical Journal, Feb 1, 2018

Biophysical Journal, 2020