Editorial: Molecular Mechanisms of Ion Channel Activation and Modulation

Authors

Meng Cui, Northeastern UniversityFollow
Miao Zhang, Chapman UniversityFollow

Document Type

Editorial

Publication Date

9-19-2025

Abstract

"Ion channels are integral membrane proteins that regulate the passage of ions across cell membranes, thereby shaping processes as diverse as neuronal signaling, muscle contraction, and hormone secretion. Channel activation is typically initiated by a stimulus such as voltage, ligand binding, or mechanical stress that induces conformational changes and opens the channel pore. Beyond activation, channels are subject to fine-tuned modulation by a wide range of endogenous and exogenous agents, from lipids and neurotransmitters to pharmacological drugs. Modulators can stabilize the open, closed, or inactivated states, shift ligand affinities, or alter gating kinetics. Dissecting the structural and dynamic basis of these processes remains central to understanding ion channel physiology and to exploiting channels as therapeutic targets.

This Research Topic brings together studies that illuminate distinct aspects of ion channel activation and modulation, with a particular focus on ligand- and lipid-mediated regulation, redox modulation, and macromolecular channel complexes."

Comments

This editorial was originally published in Frontiers in Physiology, volume 16, in 2025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2025.1695777

Recommended Citation

Cui M and Zhang M (2025) Editorial: Molecular mechanisms of ion channel activation and modulation. Front. Physiol. 16:1695777. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2025.1695777

Copyright

The authors

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.