Cryo-EM structures of the human cation-chloride cotransporter KCC1

Coupled transport Cation-chloride cotransporters move chloride and cations across the cell membrane and are important in regulating cell volume and setting the chloride concentration inside the cell. Mutations lead to serious diseases, such as epilepsy. Liu et al. present the structure of the human potassium-chloride cotransporter KCC1, as determined by cryo–electron microscopy. Based on the structure, functional studies, and molecular dynamics simulations, they propose an ion transport model. The structure provides a framework for interpreting disease-related mutations in potassium-chloride cotransporters. Science , this issue p. 505