Researchers discover structure of fluoride-specific ion channel

Researchers discover structure of fluoride-specific ion channel

Creation of 'atomic blueprint' is a biological novelty

Sept. 21, 2015

Fluoride protects our teeth against cavity-causing bacteria by making our teeth stronger. But what if we could find a way to trap fluoride ions (the negatively charged form of the chemical element fluorine) inside bacteria? At the right concentration, fluoride ions are highly toxic to bacteria, wreaking havoc on their proteins and disrupting critical cellular functions. Bacteria, however, can fight back, exporting the toxic fluoride ions out using specialized proteins called fluoride-specific ion channels................................


And we are supposed to drink it to to treat our teeth! Our gut is teeming with helpful bacteria.