Speaker
Description
Electroporation is a well-established technique that induces transient pores in the cell membrane by applying intense electric fields. However, biological membranes are not solely composed of lipids but also include embedded proteins, whose role in pore formation is still under investigation. This study explores the impact of high-intensity electric fields on the TRPV4 ion channel using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with the aim to investigate the involvement of transmembrane protein in electroporation process. A key aspect of this investigation is the analysis of the dipole moment of water molecules, differentiating between interfacial water near the membrane surface and channel-confined water within TRPV4. Results show that interfacial water molecules exhibit no significant dipole alignment changes, suggesting strong interactions with lipid head groups. In contrast, water molecules inside the channel show increased dipole alignment with stronger E-fields, indicating a direct influence of the E-field on their orientation. These findings suggest that while interfacial water remains unaffected, channel-confined water responds directly to the electric field, highlighting its potential role in electroporation-driven membrane permeabilization.
