Eliminating Induced Polarization Drives Channel Transition from Insulating to Conducting

Can ion-channel biophysics unify physics with biology? can we explain activation without metaphors to rigid everyday devices such as gates? Let us treat the channel an enzyme two allosteric conformations, replacing words “closed” and “open” biophysical concepts “tense” “relaxed.” An electromechanism proposes that elimination of polarization induced within by strong electric field excitable phase releases internal forces drive into outward expansion, converting it from a tense, ferroelectric, insulating relaxed, nonpolar, ion-conducting phase. This hypothesis, Channel Activation Electrostatic Repulsion (CAbER) model, builds on evidence ferroelectricity in membranes, reinforced fit axonal temperature-capacitance data Curie-Weiss law. CAbER attributes excitability dipoles branched sidechains isoleucine, leucine valine residues throughout macromolecule. These become depolarized threshold depolarization, discharging channel's capacitance producing gating current. dipole moments reduces dielectric permittivity, critically increasing mutual electrostatic repulsions between positively charged arginine lysine S4 segments. The four segments expand move apart, cooperatively creating space for axially located S5 S6 lengthen widen. Proton sites hydrogen bonds their α-helical backbones widen, allowing permeant ions occupy these sites, protons. Percolating site now-porous pore domain, form transient pathways across membrane. Thermal fluctuations break up reform pathways, giving observed stochastic single-channel currents. model provides causal chain explains first principles. Further testing is needed advance unification.