Innovative Molecular Machineries for Transmembrane Chloride Transport

Chloride transporters, a functionally and structurally diverse group of transmembrane proteins, are involved in processes such as muscle regulation, transepithelial salt transport, cell volume regulation, acidification of internal and extracellular compartments, etc.1,2 Thus, it is of prime importance to design and develop such biomimetic systems to achieve controlled transport of the ion across biological membranes. We have developed diverse synthetic systems which facilitates selective transport of the ion across lipid bilayer membranes. These systems act as either unimolecular carriers3 or supramolecular channels4 for facilitating the transport of chloride ion, and occasionally HCl.5 We have extensively studied their activities and mechanisms of ion transport across either liposomal or planar bilayer membranes. The effect of artificially transported chloride ions perturbed the cellular chloride ion homeostasis which finally led to apoptotic cell death.3a,4b Considering this interesting finding, artificial chloride transport systems have immense potential in the targeting cancer. References: 1. Duran, C.; Thompson, C. H.; Xiao, Q.; Hartzell, C. Annu. Rev. Physiol. 2010, 72, 95-121. 2. Benz, R.; Hancock, R. E. W. J. Gen. Physiol. 1987, 89, 275-295. 3. (a) Saha, T.; Hossain, M. S.; Saha, D.; Lahiri, M.; Talukdar. P. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138, 7558-7567. (b) Roy, A.; Saha, D.; Mandal, P. S.; Mukherjee, A.; Talukdar. P. Chem. Eur. J. 2017, 23, 1241-1247. 4. (a) Saha, T.; Dasari, S.; Tewari, D.; Prathap, A.; Sureshan, K. M.; Bera, A. K.; Mukherjee, A.; Talukdar, P. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014, 136, 14128-14135. (b) Saha, T.; Gautam, A.; Mukherjee, A.; Lahiri, M.; Talukdar. P. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138, 16443-16451. 5. Shinde, S. V.; Talukdar, P. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017, 56, 4238-4242.