Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42624849›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Atomic structure and plasticity of the CTX-MthK complex investigated by cryo-EM, NMR, and MD simulations.

Denis Qoraj, Swantje Mohr, Yessenbek K Aldakul, Thiemo Sprink, Carl Öster, Taoran Xiao, Peter Schmieder, Sascha Lange, Tillmann Utesch, Daniel Roderer and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Denis Qoraj *Research Unit Molecular Biophysics, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0008-6944-4175
Swantje Mohr *Research Unit Molecular Biophysics, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany.
Yessenbek K AldakulResearch Unit Structural Chemistry and Computational Biophysics, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9686-9899
Thiemo SprinkCore Facility for Cryo Electron Microscopy of the Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin at the Max Delbrück Center, Berlin, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0760-6828
Carl ÖsterResearch Unit Molecular Biophysics, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8723-4533
Taoran XiaoResearch Unit Molecular Biophysics, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany.
Peter SchmiederCore Facility for NMR Spectroscopy, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany.
Sascha LangeResearch Unit Molecular Biophysics, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany.
Tillmann UteschResearch Unit Structural Chemistry and Computational Biophysics, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3617-2002
Daniel RodererLeibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7276-3467
Shanshuang ChenShanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2317-6589
Han SunResearch Unit Structural Chemistry and Computational Biophysics, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1655-0838
Adam LangeResearch Unit Molecular Biophysics, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany. alange@fmp-berlin.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7534-5973

Funding

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation) EXC 2008/1 (UniSysCat) - 390540038
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Scorpion toxins block potassium channels, disrupting cellular excitability and causing symptoms such as pain, muscle spasms, or paralysis. Here, we use an integrated structural biology approach to uncover the binding mode of the scorpion toxin charybdotoxin (CTX) to the MthK channel, a model system for human large-conductance potassium (BK) channels. Cryo-EM defines the overall architecture of the MthK-CTX complex, while complementary solution- and solid-state NMR experiments identify key binding residues and show that toxin engagement alters the selectivity filter (SF) ion configuration without rearranging the filter itself. NMR and MD simulations further reveal an anchoring lysine residue stably inserted into the SF, while other contacts undergo fast NMR timescale dynamics. Together, these findings explain how CTX-like toxins maintain exceptionally high affinity while tolerating binding across multiple K⁺ channel subtypes, paving the way for site-specific extracellular modulation.

Indexed as

CharybdotoxinAnimalsBinding SitesCryoelectron MicroscopyHumansMagnetic Resonance SpectroscopyMolecular Dynamics SimulationPotassium ChannelsProtein BindingProtein ConformationCharybdotoxinPotassium Channels

Identifiers

PMID42624849
PMCPMC13493962

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.