The molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation and trafficking of members of the calcium-dependent potassium channel gene family, KCa2.3 and KCa3.1.

Description of projects available to graduate students:
Intermediate (KCa3.1 or IK) and small (KCa2.3 or SK3) conductance, calcium-activated potassium channels play a critical role in a host of physiological processes, including epithelial transport, cardiovascular function, T-cell activation, RBC volume regulation and neuronal function. Thus, an understanding of the physiological and pharmacological regulation of these channels as well as their assembly, trafficking and gating is crucial to the development of novel therapies based on targeting these channels. Current projects ongoing in the laboratory include: 1) Defining the molecular motifs required for correct anterograde and retrograde trafficking of these channels to the plasma membrane. 2) Defining the role of ubiquitylation and deubiquitylation in the endocytosis, recycling and degradation of these channels. 3) Defining the Golgi exit pathways for these channels and the mechanisms associated with correct basolateral membrane targeting. These questions are being addressed using a variety of molecular (mutagenesis, chimeric construction), protein biochemical (protein microarrays, immunoblotting, co-immunoprecipitation) and immunofluorescence techniques.

Techniques graduate student will learn:
Molecular Biology, protein-protein interaction, protein trafficking, Immunofluorescence, confocal microscopy