Presentations
June 24th Seminar - Baron Chanda
Time:2015-06-22KeyWord:
Seminar
Molecular mechanisms of voltage- and
temperature- dependent gating of ion channels
Speaker: Baron Chanda
Associate Professor
Department of Neuroscience,
University of Wisconsin
Abstract:
Members of the voltage-gated ion channel superfamily (VGICs) play a central role in electrical excitability in mammals. They are activated by voltage and, in some instances, also by physiological ligands and temperature. Despite the availability of high-resolution structures in recent years, a comprehensive understanding of molecular mechanisms is lacking in large part due to lack of robust tools for high-throughput mechanistic analysis. In the first part of the presentation, I will discuss the development of analytical tools to quantify and deconstruct the energetic effects of mutations in a model-independent fashion. In the second part, I will discuss our progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms that determine temperature-sensitivity in members of VGICs. Our studies shed light on a putatively novel paradigm for allosteric gating of ion channels.
Time: 10:00, June 24th, 2015(Wednesday)
Venue: Room 323, Medicine Building
Host: Prof. Nieng YAN