A Comparison of Ion Channel Current Blockades Caused by Individual Poly(ethylene glycol) Molecules and Polyoxometalate Nanoclusters

Published

June 28, 2019

Author(s)

Haiyan Wang, John J. Kasianowicz, Joseph W. Robertson, Dianne L. Poster, Jessica Ettedgui

Abstract

Proteinaceous nanometer-scale pores have been used to detect and physically characterize many different types of molecules at the single molecule limit. The method is based on the ability to measure the transient reduction in the ionic channel conductance caused by molecules partitioning into the pore. The distribution of blockade depth amplitudes and residence times of the molecules in the pore are used to physically and chemically characterize the molecules. We compare here the current blockades caused by flexible, linear polymers of ethylene glycol (PEGs) and structurally well-defined metallic nanoparticles. Surprisingly, the variance in the ionic current blockade values for the metallic nanoparticles is much greater than that for the PEGs. We suggest a possible rationale for this finding.

Citation

European Physical Journal E

Volume

42

Issue

83

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2019-11838-3

Local Download

Keywords

ion channels, PEG, POMs, proteins, nanopores

Citation

Wang, H. , Kasianowicz, J. , Robertson, J. , Poster, D. and Ettedgui, J. (2019), A Comparison of Ion Channel Current Blockades Caused by Individual Poly(ethylene glycol) Molecules and Polyoxometalate Nanoclusters, European Physical Journal E, [online], https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2019-11838-3, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=926405 (Accessed October 17, 2025)