Ion channels are complex integral membrane proteins
that serve many physiological roles. Our long-term
goal is to understand how ion channels function and
how they are controlled, at both the molecular and
cellular level. A variety of ion channels are used
as model systems: drk1, a voltage-dependent K channel
cloned from rat brain, the NMDA receptor and several
neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Wild-type
and mutant channels are heterologously expressed in
Xenopus oocytes, mammalian cell lines and hippocampal
primary neurons. Recombinant channels are functionally
characterized by whole-cell and single channel voltage-clamp
techniques, and structurally analyzed using protein
biochemistry.
