The common theme of the work is the assessment of differentiation of properties among different excitable tissues in different animals, in varying stages development, as well as in different genetic mutants of the same animal. The following specific projects are proposed. 1) Analysis of the Ca-Dependent Action Potential. The ion selectivity and kinetics of the Ca channel will be analyzed using voltage clamp techniques on the internally dialyzed nerve cell of the fresh water snail. This will be extended to clonal cells such as neuroblastoma or GH3, under Tissue Culture, and Insect Muscle Fiber using Hille-Campbell voltage clamp technique, 2) Ion selectivity and kinetic of the FAST Inactivating K Channel will be studied in snail ganglion cells as well as egg cells of the coelentrerates, Renilla. 3) Electrophysiology and role of Ca in Early Development will be studied in starfish eggs as well as in eggs of the echiuran, Urechis caupo.
