ants ▁was ▁local ized ▁to ▁a ▁t ert i ary ▁struct ural ▁feature ▁on ▁the ▁memb rane - pro xim al ▁int rac ell ular ▁face ▁of ▁the ▁channel , ▁which ▁has ▁been ▁term ed ▁the ▁' al loster ic ▁ne x us ', ▁and ▁which ▁is ▁composed ▁of ▁a ▁c yst e ine - rich ▁linker ▁domain ▁and ▁the ▁e pon ym ous ▁TR P ▁domain . ▁Break through ▁research ▁combining ▁cry o - elect ron ▁micro sc opy ▁and ▁electro phys i ology ▁later ▁el uc id ated ▁the ▁mole cular ▁mechanism ▁of ▁how ▁the ▁channel ▁functions ▁as ▁a ▁broad - spect rum ▁ir rit ant ▁det ector . ▁With ▁respect ▁to ▁elect roph iles , ▁which ▁activ ate ▁the ▁channel ▁by ▁c oval ent ▁modification ▁of ▁three ▁c yst e ines ▁in ▁the ▁al loster ic ▁ne x us , ▁it ▁was ▁shown ▁that ▁these ▁re active ▁ox id ative ▁species ▁act ▁step - wise ▁to ▁modify ▁two ▁critical ▁c yst e ine ▁resid ues ▁in ▁the ▁al loster ic ▁ne x us . ▁Upon ▁c oval ent ▁attachment , ▁the ▁al loster ic ▁ne x us ▁adopt s ▁a ▁conform ational ▁change ▁that ▁is ▁propag ated ▁to ▁the ▁channel ' s ▁p ore , ▁dil ating ▁it ▁to ▁permit ▁c ation ▁infl ux ▁and ▁subsequent ▁cell ular ▁dep olar ization . ▁With ▁respect ▁to ▁activation ▁by ▁the ▁second ▁mess enger ▁calci um , ▁the ▁structure ▁of ▁the ▁channel ▁in ▁complex ▁with ▁calci um ▁local ized ▁the ▁binding ▁site ▁for