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Genetic Screen for Potassium Leaky Small Mechanosensitive Channels (MscS) in Escherichia coli

MscS is a bacterial mechanosensitive channel (MS) that opens upon membrane stretch and will jettison osmolytes protecting the bacteria (together with another MS channel MscL) against lysis during severe osmotic downshocks. Its transmembrane part, including the gate and its kinetics, has been well characterized. MscS has a large cytoplasmic domain which changes its conformation upon gating but its involvement in gating, although evident from earlier studies, is not understood.
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