cover illustration The binding to the potassium channel KcsA was investigated by means of STD-NMR techniques.The protein is an α-helical membrane protein which allows the passage of the potassium ions (the dots at the top of the figure) into the cell.The binding of peptides into the mouth of the channel might provide new drugs against several illnesses. A Shaker B peptide binds to KcsA through a hydrophobic motif at the N terminus, but a shorter variant of such peptide also binds via its hydrophilic region at the C-terminus as shown by the work of Neira pp. 341-347.
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