title: Introduction: Applying Chemical Biology to Ion Channels.
abstract: Ion channels are membrane-spanning proteins that control the flow of ions across biological membranes through an aqueous pathway. The opening or closing of this pore can be controlled by a myriad of physiological inputs (voltage, ligands, temperature, metabolites, pH), which in turn allow for the controlled flux of ions across membranes, resulting in the generation of minute electrical signals. The functional implications of ion channel function on physiological processes are vast. Electrical impulses, in the form of action potentials or diverse chemo-electrical signals, coordinate the syncytium of the heart beat, support a myriad of neuronal communication pathways, insulin secretion, and are central to the immune response, with more roles being discovered virtually everyday. Thus, ion channel function is a biophysical process that is central to biological life at many levels. And with over 500 channel-forming subunits known today in humans, this large class of proteins is also increasingly recognised as important drug targets, as inherited or acquired ion channel dysfunction are known causes of disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Center for Biopharmaceuticals, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. stephan.pless@sund.ku.dk.
authors.forename: Stephan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Pless
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, 52246, Iowa City, IA, USA. christopher-ahern@uiowa.edu.
authors.forename: Christopher A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Ahern
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D015640:Ion Channel Gating; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017136:Ion Transport; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels
keywords: Chemical biology; Cysteine modifications; Ion channels; Side chain protonation; Unnatural amino acids