TY - JOUR
T1 - Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes Are a New Class of Ion Channel Blockers
AU - Park, Ki Ho
AU - Chhowalla, Manish
AU - Iqbal, Zafar
AU - Sesti, Federico
PY - 2003/12/12
Y1 - 2003/12/12
N2 - Here we identify a novel class of biological membrane ion channel blockers called single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). SWNTs with diameter distributions peaked at ∼0.9 and 1.3 nm, C60 fullerenes, multi wall nanotubes (MWNTs), and hyperfullerenes (nano-"onions") were synthesized by several techniques and applied to diverse channel types heterologously expressed in mammalian cells. External as-fabricated and purified SWNTs blocked K+ channel subunits in a dose-dependent manner. Blockage was dependent on the shape and dimensions of the nanoparticles used and did not require any electrochemical interaction. SWNTs were more effective than the spherical fullerenes and, for both, diameter was the determining factor. These findings postulate new uses for SWNTs in biological applications and provide unexpected insights into the current view of mechanisms governing the interaction of ion channels with blocking molecules.
AB - Here we identify a novel class of biological membrane ion channel blockers called single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). SWNTs with diameter distributions peaked at ∼0.9 and 1.3 nm, C60 fullerenes, multi wall nanotubes (MWNTs), and hyperfullerenes (nano-"onions") were synthesized by several techniques and applied to diverse channel types heterologously expressed in mammalian cells. External as-fabricated and purified SWNTs blocked K+ channel subunits in a dose-dependent manner. Blockage was dependent on the shape and dimensions of the nanoparticles used and did not require any electrochemical interaction. SWNTs were more effective than the spherical fullerenes and, for both, diameter was the determining factor. These findings postulate new uses for SWNTs in biological applications and provide unexpected insights into the current view of mechanisms governing the interaction of ion channels with blocking molecules.
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U2 - 10.1074/jbc.M310216200
DO - 10.1074/jbc.M310216200
M3 - Article
C2 - 14522977
AN - SCOPUS:0346118922
SN - 0021-9258
VL - 278
SP - 50212
EP - 50216
JO - Journal of Biological Chemistry
JF - Journal of Biological Chemistry
IS - 50
ER -