Filling the gap created over the past five years, during which many new techniqueshave entered the market, this book is directed at both the new and the experiencedion channel researcher wishing to learn more about the considerations and methodsfor studying recombinant ion channels. These latest developments are coveredhere for the first time, contributed by editors and authors working for major pharmaceuticalcompanies and who routinely apply these techniques in their daily work. The firstthree chapters cover the use of the Xenopus oocyte expression system for structure-functionstudies, from basic approaches for manipulating ion channel cDNAs to more specializedbut powerful techniques. This is followed by reviews of strategies and methodologiesavailable for expressing channels in mammalian cells and for their analysis by patch-clampelectrophysiology. Chapters 6 to 8 review the latest methodologies for ion channeldrug discovery, including high throughput screening using fluorescence and luminescence,as well as automated planar array electrophysiology. The remaining two chapters focuson approaches for determining ion channel crystal structures and on computationalapproaches to understanding channel mechanisms at atomic resolution. Rather thanprovide detailed protocols, indicated by references in each chapter, the authors providea comprehensive and easily accessible overview of the techniques involved, reviewingunderlying principles and providing working guidelines as well as an understandingof the key theoretical and practical considerations associated with each topic. Ineach case, this practical advice is illustrated by real life examples, taken eitherfrom the author's own experience or from key examples in the literature, providingvaluable practical hints not found elsewhere. The result is a compendium of practicalion channel information that will prove a valuable resource to academic and industrialworkers alike. |
