1.A.23.2.5
Lipid-mediated gating of a miniature mechanosensitive MscS channel of 165 aas from Trypanosoma cruzi has been reported (Zhang et al. 2025).  This protozoan parasite, causing Chagas disease, encodes a miniature MscS ortholog (TcMscS) critical for parasite development and infectivity.  TcMscS contains two short membrane-embedded helices that would not fully cross an intact lipid bilayer. Consequently, drastic membrane deformation is induced at the protein-lipid interface, resulting in a funnel-shaped bilayer surrounding the channel. Resident lipids within the central pore lumen block ion permeation pathway, and their departure driven by lateral membrane tension is required for ion conduction (Zhang et al. 2025).