A COMPREHENSIVE RESOURCE BASE OF C. ELEGANS K+ CHANNELS

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The C. elegans genome contains an extended gene family of potassium channels consisting of more than seventy members. Among these genes are an ancient conserved "set" of potassium channels with orthologues in both humans and Drosophila. Many of these conserved genes are of interest to researchers working in fields as diverse as cardiac physiology, neurological function, and kidney and digestive disorders. Thus, C. elegans has the potential of being a valuable model system for basic research in virtually all fields where excitable membranes and ion currents are important. The investigators propose to create a resource base that will include full-length potassium channel cDNA clones in vectors suitable for functional expression in mammalian cell lines and Xenopus oocytes, and stocks of gene KO strains. Supporting this resource base will be studies showing the basic biophysical properties of the channels, studies showing the phenotypes of KO mutants and information on the cell-type expression patterns of each channel. Many aspects of this comprehensive project will directly guide studies in mammals and should offer an alternative model system applicable to a wide variety of researchers in both basic and applied research.