Signaling Networks Responsible for Chronic and Acute Ion Channel Regulation by Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Kinases

神经系统的细胞（“神经元”）获得了产生电脉冲的能力，以响应被称为“生长因子”的生物分子。生长因子是由神经系统及其控制的组织自然产生的蛋白质。当生长因子接触神经元时，它们会引发一系列尚未确定的化学反应，这些反应会导致神经元产生另一种叫做离子通道的蛋白质。这些离子通道是神经元结构的一部分，它们赋予神经元产生电信号的能力。除了引起离子通道的长期诱导外，生长因子还产生化学信号，对细胞中已经存在的离子通道产生直接影响。由于几乎所有的神经功能都依赖于离子通道产生的电信号，因此了解生长因子和生长因子产生的化学信号对通道的调节至关重要。Rane博士及其同事将使用多种技术，包括细胞膜片钳电生理学、遗传学和药理学，来研究这些问题。这项工作将描述生长因子和生长因子介导的信号在控制神经细胞电行为中的作用，从而控制神经系统的功能。

IBN 98-07894 RANE The cells of the nervous system ("neurons") acquire the capability for generating electrical impulses in response to biological molecules known as "growth factors". Growth factors are proteins produced naturally by the nervous system and the tissues which it controls. When growth factors contact neurons, they evoke a series of yet undetermined chemical events, which cause the neurons to produce other proteins called ion channels. These ion channels are part of the neuron's structure, and they give it the ability to generate electrical signals. In addition to causing long-term induction of ion channels, growth factors also generate chemical signals which have immediate effects on ion channels already present in the cell. Because virtually all nervous function is dependent on the electrical signals generated by ion channels, it is critical to understand channel regulation by growth factors and growth-factor-generated chemical signals. Dr. Rane and colleagues will use several techniques, including cellular patch clamp electrophysiology, genetics, and pharmacology, to investigate these issues. The work will delineate the actions of growth factors and growth-factor-mediated signaling in governing the electrical behavior of nerve cells, and thus the functioning of the nervous system.