pfam12795: MscS_porin (this model, PSSM-Id:289559 is obsolete and has been replaced by 432790)
Mechanosensitive ion channel porin domain
The small mechanosensitive channel, MscS, is a part of the turgor-driven solute efflux system that protects bacteria from lysis in the event of osmotic shock. The MscS protein alone is sufficient to form a functional mechanosensitive channel gated directly by tension in the lipid bilayer. The MscS proteins are heptamers of three transmembrane subunits with seven converging M3 domains, and this MscS_porin is towards the N-terminal of the molecules. The high concentration of negative charges at the extracellular entrance of the pore helps select the cations for efflux.