Relating ligand binding and activation gating in nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (B07)

• Subject Area: Biophysics
• Term: from 2015 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 258780946

This project aims to analyze the gating behavior of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR). Novel ACh analogs will be synthesized to be employed in confocal patch-clamp fluorometry. Simultaneous monitoring of agonist binding and receptor activation will shed light onto the complex desensitization mechanism, taking into account the specific contribution of the two structurally different binding sites. Furthermore, the role of the clustering protein rapsyn in the desensitization process will be studied.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 166: High-end light microscopy elucidates membrane receptor function - ReceptorLight
• Applicant Institution: Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
• Project Head: Dr. Jana Kusch