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'''This sandbox is in use until June 1, 2009 for UMass Chemistry 490a. Others please do not edit this page. Thanks!'''
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Abraham Khorasani

The potassium channel is an integral membrane protein consisting of four identical subunits.  Because it is located in the membrane, it consists of a number of cross-membrane <scene name='Sandbox7/Alpha_helices/1'>alpha helices</scene> (shown in blue)and its hydrophobic groups are mostly located on the outside of the structure, where they interact with the lipids inside the membrane.  The interior of the channel, meanwhile, is hydrophilic with <scene name='Sandbox7/Aliphatic/1'>polar</scene> groups to interact with potassium cations, thus making the helices aliphatic.  <scene name='Sandbox7/Hydrophobic_alpha-helices/2'>Hydrophobic residues</scene> (shown in green) are located on the outside of the alpha helices.




{{STRUCTURE_1bl8 |  PDB=1bl8  |  SCENE=  }}