Request for Funding

Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2002

Mentor: Paul Blount
Department: Physiology
Room number: L4.134
Mail Code: 9040
Phone number: 214 648-8445
E-mail: Paul.Blount@UTSouthwestern.edu
Project title: Functional Domains of Mechanosensitive Channels of Bacteria

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): N/A

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): N/A

Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects) Basic Research

Brief Description of Project:

Little is presently known of the molecular mechanisms of eukaryotic mechanosensitive channels. Much of the work, to date, has been performed in bacterial model systems. Bacteria have the advantages of rapid growth, microbial genetics and simple assays for physiological processes. In addition, our lab utilizes patch-clamp as an assay for these channels in native membranes as well as reconstituted systems.
Potential projects within our laboratory would include:
1) The development and use of biochemical reagents (i.e. accessibility of sulfhydryl reagents to engineered cysteines) combined with physiological assays to determine the dynamics of structural changes of the MscL channel upon gating.
2) The generation and use of site-directed mutants and/or chimeras to study the structural/functional interactions of a newly discovered and larger family of MscS channel proteins.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students:

Gabriel Rendon performed a genetics project with our lab the summer of 2000. His work set the foundation for a project subsequently pursued by others in the lab.

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