A cost-effective protocol for the over-expression and purification of fully-functional and more stable Erwinia chrysanthemi ligand-gated ion channel.

The Erwinia chrysanthemi ligand-gated ion channel, ELIC, is considered an excellent structural and functional surrogate for the whole pentameric ligand-gated ion channel family. Despite its simplicity, ELIC is structurally capable of undergoing ligand-dependent activation and a concomitant desensitization process. To determine at the molecular level the structural changes underlying ELIC's function, it is desirable to produce large quantities of protein.

An Escherichia coli-Based Assay to Assess the Function of Recombinant Human Hemichannels.

Connexins form the gap junctional channels that mediate cell-to-cell communication, and also form hemichannels present at the plasma membrane. Hemichannels are permeable to small hydrophilic compounds, including molecules involved in autocrine and paracrine signaling. An abnormal hemichannel opening causes or contributes to cell damage in common human disorders (e.