Ion Channel Localization

Since the pioneering discoveries of Hodgkin, Huxley, and Katz, it has been clear that specific ion conductance pathways underlie electrical act- ity. Over the ensuing 50 years, there has been ever increasing, and occasi- ally explosive, changes in the scope of efforts to understand ion channel behavior. The introduction of patch clamp technology by Erwin Neher and Bert Sakmann about 20 years ago led to the realization of the great variety of novel ion channel species, and the subsequent revolution in cl- ing has revealed an even greater diversity of the underlying molecular entities. Today, advances in the study of ion channel structure and function c- tinue at a high pace, from angstrom resolution imaging of crystallized ch- nels to their genetic manipulations in animals. In this regard, the field is a balanced one that inquires not only what ion channel entities are there, or how they operate, but also where are these molecular electronic switches? However, this balance is not particularly well presented to the general sci- tific audience or to specialists in the field. There are plenty of wonderful and useful books and monographs, as well as conferences and meetings on v- tually every aspect of ion channel structure and function. However, we are unaware that the channel localization theme has been considered in a u- fied forum.

Although there are many useful books on virtually every aspect of ion channel structure and function, work on channel localization-determining the specific sites of ion channels and their receptors on cells-has long been neglected. In Ion Channel Localization: Methods and Protocols, active researchers at the cutting-edge of their fields describe how to use current and developing technologies to determine the exact cell sites of such channels and receptors. With emphasis on techniques employing the unique properties of these proteins, the core topics of the book include all the major pharmacological tools for ion channel determination. Also covered are fluorescent and radioligand assays, exciting new visualization methods employing green fluorescent protein (GFP), and novel assays based on the functional properties of ion channels and receptors, as well as rapidly developing atomic force microscopy methodologies.
Comprehensive and rich in practical detail, Ion Channel Localization: Methods and Protocols brings together in a single volume detailed reviews of all the major techniques-both currently in use and in development-for localizing ion channels and receptors in cells, tissues, and organisms.