Linie

Mäntele (P5) | Prisner (P7) | Forrest (P8) | Fendler/Bamberg (P10) | Gottschalk (P11) | Wachtveitl (P12)

Linie

In contrast to transporters, channel proteins do not transform energy but act as selective pores in response to stimuli such as light or membrane potential. A small number of 3D structures of ion channels have been solved, which – together with other data – indicate the existence of distinct conformational states.

Voltage-dependent states of the tetrameric K⁺ channel KvAP will be determined in lipid bilayers by dipolar EPR spectroscopy. The methodological developments needed for this project will be directly applied to other transporters within this SFB. Recently, a novel class of ion channels, the light gated channelrhodopsins (ChR1, 2) has been discovered and was described. These channels represent a long sought-after and unique tool for neurobiological applications because they allow the light-induced depolarization of cells as demonstrated in excitable cells in transgenic animals by induction of light dependent behavior.

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