BBSRC Portfolio Analyser
Award details
Prokaryotic and eukaryotic sodium channels: structural basis of function
Reference
BB/C500628/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor
Professor Bonnie Wallace
Co-Investigators /
Co-Supervisors
Dr Nora Cronin
Institution
Birkbeck College
Department
Biological Sciences
Funding type
Research
Value (£)
359,156
Status
Completed
Type
Research Grant
Start date
01/10/2004
End date
31/12/2008
Duration
51 months
Abstract
Prokaryotic sodium channels are simple, single domain versions of sodium channels, which nevertheless have strong sequence homology to the more complex four-domain eukaryotic sodium channels. We have preliminary evidence that NaChBac from B. halodurans can be expressed in membrane-bound form in E coli; we will take advantage of this to make chimeric constructs of these bacterial channels and eukaryotic channels, which should enable us to express channels that have physiological characteristics more like native eukaryotic sodium channels, whilst incorporating the prokaryotic features that enable the expression in high yield. We intend to purify various intact, multidomain, domain and subdomain constructs and chimeras and use these for structural and functional studies to better understand the linkage between sequence, conductance and 3D structure. We will also use them to investigate state-related drug-binding properties exploiting the spectroscopic assay we have developed using naturally-occuring sodium channels isolated from eel electroplax. Finally, we will continue to pursue our current studies to produce 3D crystals from the electroplax proteins, as well as the expressed proteins, and to examine their structure by crystallography and spectroscopy.
Summary
unavailable
Committee
Closed Committee - Biomolecular Sciences (BMS)
Research Topics
Microbiology, Structural Biology
Research Priority
X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative
X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme
X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme
I accept the
terms and conditions of use
(opens in new window)
export PDF file
back to list
new search