Chloride channels

Cl- channels have various functions such as regulation of cell volume, transepithelial transport, and control of excitability in nerve and muscle. Several different structural classes of Cl- channels have been identified recently by molecular cloning. The importance of these different classes of Cl- channels can be seen from the inherited diseases resulting from mutations in some of the genes encoding them. Mutagenesis studies are beginning to shed light on their structure-function relationships.