ABSTRACT
Using periodic boundary conditions and a constant applied field, we have simulated current flow through an 8.125-A internal diameter, rigid, atomistic channel with polar walls in a rigid membrane using explicit ions and extended simple point charge water. Channel and bath currents were computed from 10 10-ns trajectories for each of 10 different conditions of concentration and applied voltage. An electric field was applied uniformly throughout the system to all mobile atoms. On average, the resultant net electric field falls primarily across the membrane channel, as expected for two conductive baths separated by a membrane capacitance. The channel is rarely occupied by more than one ion. Current-voltage relations are concentration dependent and superlinear at high concentrations.
Subject(s)
Ions , Sodium Chloride/chemistry , Sodium Chloride/metabolism , Water/chemistry , Computer Simulation , Electrolytes/chemistry , Electrophysiology , Models, Molecular , Static ElectricityABSTRACT
The conductance of sodium ions through a simplified channel-membrane system immersed in a reservoir of 1M NaCl in SPC/E water is examined by molecular dynamics simulation. An applied external potential of 1.1 V drives the ions and water through a channel of length 25 A producing a current of 19.6 pA, in reasonable agreement with experimental findings. The stream of ions and water molecules flows continuously because of the constant applied field and periodic boundary conditions. We also examine the potential profile across the simulation cell, the average density distributions of the various species in the reservoir and radially in the channel, and the ion velocity in the channel.
