Biology

Dr. Baron Chanda
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Members of the voltage-gated ion channel superfamily (VGICs) play a central role in electrical excitability in mammals. Most of them are activated by voltage and, in many instances, they are also regulated by other stimuli namely, temperature, mechanical stretch and small molecule ligands. The molecular mechanisms involved in sensing and transducing stimuli to control conduction through the ion pore remains poorly understood. In the first part of the presentation, I will describe how a newly developed single molecule method sheds light on early gating transitions that underlie activation of human pacemaker ion channels. In the second part, I will discuss our progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms that determine temperature-sensitivity in members of VGIC superfamily.