9514389 Begenisich Most, if not all, physiological processes require the movements of ions across the membrane of the cells. The pathways for these ion movements are channels, or pores, formed by proteins imbedded in the membrane. Some of these proteins pores are specialized to allow potassium ions to pass through the membrane very selectively. Potassium ion flow has many critical physiological roles for the normal functioning of the nervous system, as well as the generation and modulation of rhythmic electrical activity in the heart and other organs. With such diverse and important roles it is not surprising that these proteins are the targets of many biological and pharmacological agents. Although the structure of some potassium channels is now understood, the specific biophysical mechanisms by which the channels achieve their very high degree of ion selectivity and the details of how ions pass through the channels remains largely unknown. This project employs molecular cloning techniques to express potassium channels in oocytes, where the currents through the channels are detected with modern electrophysiological techniques. The basic research funded by this award enhances the understanding of fundamental, molecular properties of ion permeation through the use of cloned potassium channel proteins.
