title: Expressing and characterizing mechanosensitive channels in Xenopus oocytes.
abstract: The oocytes of the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) comprise one of the most widely used membrane protein expression systems. While frequently used for studies of transporters and ion channels, the application of this system to the study of mechanosensitive ion channels has been overlooked, perhaps due to a relative abundance of native expression systems. Recent advances, however, have illustrated the advantages of the oocyte system for studying plant and bacterial mechanosensitive channels. Here we describe in detail the methods used for heterologous expression and characterization of bacterial and plant mechanosensitive channels in Xenopus oocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Washington University in Saint Louis, One Brookings Drive, Mail Code 1137, Saint Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
authors.forename: Grigory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maksaev
authors.forename: Elizabeth S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Haswell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular / Q000235:genetics; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D014982:Xenopus laevis
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; D008565:Membrane Proteins