Development of biological tools for the study and modulation of ion channels.

开发用于研究和调节离子通道的生物工具。

• 批准号: BB/L018047/1
• 负责人: Jonathan Lippiat
• 金额: $ 15.93万
• 依托单位: University of Leeds
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2014 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FL018047%2F1
• 关键词: Development; biological; tools; study; modulation

Ion channels are proteins that can span the cell membrane. They are said to be active when the ion channel pore is open, permitting charged ions such as sodium, potassium, calcium, or chloride to flow from one side of the membrane to the other. There are many different types of ion channel and their activity determines how the cell responds to external and internal stimuli. They are responsible for generating and sending nerve impulses, the beat of the heart, hormone release, and muscle contraction, to name a few examples. There are hundreds of different types of ion channel protein, but relatively few chemicals that can be used change the behaviour of the ion channel. This makes some experiments difficult because it is difficult to home in on the specific ion channel that is responsible for the biological event that a researcher is investigating. It also means that there are few starting points for the development of new medicines that act on ion channels. Because it is not possible to directly monitor ion channel activity biochemically, it is also difficult to conduct experiments and develop methods to screen thousands of chemicals for new modulators. This project aims to meet these needs by identifying small proteins that stick to ion channels and those that change ion channel behaviour.If successful, this technology will generate tools and resources that will prove invaluable to ion channel researchers in the U.K. and internationally, and will have many different applications in biotechnology.

离子通道是可以跨越细胞膜的蛋白质。据说，当离子通道孔打开时，它们会变得活跃，允许带电离子（例如钠、钾、钙或氯）从膜的一侧流到另一侧。离子通道有许多不同类型，它们的活性决定了细胞如何响应外部和内部刺激。它们负责产生和发送神经冲动、心跳、激素释放和肌肉收缩等。离子通道蛋白有数百种不同类型，但可用于改变离子通道行为的化学物质相对较少。这使得一些实验变得困难，因为很难找到导致研究人员正在研究的生物事件的特定离子通道。这也意味着作用于离子通道的新药的开发起点很少。由于不可能直接生化监测离子通道活性，因此也很难进行实验和开发方法来筛选数千种化学物质以寻找新的调节剂。该项目旨在通过识别粘附在离子通道上的小蛋白质和改变离子通道行为的小蛋白质来满足这些需求。如果成功，该技术将产生对英国和国际离子通道研究人员来说非常宝贵的工具和资源，并将在生物技术中有许多不同的应用。