Robert French

Among proteins, ion channels offer us the unique opportunity to observe, in real time, the conformational (gating) transitions and drug interactions of a single molecule. My laboratory uses recording by patch clamp, or from single channels reconstituted into lipid bilayers, to study gating and ion conduction processes, and drug interactions, of ion channels. µ-Conotoxins are potent and specific peptide blockers of voltage-dependent sodium channels from adult skeletal muscle. Variants of these toxins, in which individual amino acids have been substituted, are being used, along with channels containing complementary amino acid substitutions, to map relationships between functionally important parts of the channel protein. ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels are present in a variety of tissues and provide an unique functional link between the cell’s metabolic state and its electrical excitability. We are examining the characteristics and roles of KATP channels, and the mechanisms by which different signaling pathways modulate their activity.

Administrative Assistant

Lucia Wang
wangl@ucalgary.ca
403-220-8389