[Lecture Schedule / Notes] [Map to Faculty Office Building]

• lectures and discussions covering the mechanisms of voltage- and ligand-gated ion channel function at the molecular level,
• in-depth analyses of selected papers illustrating important concepts and methods.
• hands-on experience with two-electrode voltage clamp recording techniques.

Meetings: One afternoon per week, 3 - 4:50 pm, Tuesdays. Room: Faculty Office Bldg 106 (see map).

Student participation: Students (either singly or in small groups) will prepare one paper for presentation during the semester, with assistance from Dr. Yool.

Grades: Grades are based 30% on student participation, 30% on the lab project write-up, and 40% on the final research proposal. The final research proposal (3-5 pages) due at the end of the semester will allow the student to explore a research topic that is an extension of any of the papers covered in class, including figures of hypothetical data that might be obtained in proving or disproving the hypothesis.

Auditing: Postdocs and faculty are welcome to audit the class. Graduate students must take the course for credit. The electrophysiology lab sections are open only to enrolled students. Upper division undergraduates with coursework in cellular and molecular biology may enroll in the course with instructor approval.

Recommended text: B. Hille "Ionic Channels of Excitable Membranes" Sinauer Associates, Inc.

Next offering: This course is offered once every two years. The next scheduled class will be spring, 2004.

For more information, contact Dr. Yool
Office: Biomedical Research Labs, B-110
Phone: 626-2198, Fax: 626-2383
email: ayool@u.arizona.edu

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES PSIO 595J - Spring 2002

Jan. 22	Lecture 1: Introduction to ion channels
Jan. 29	Lecture 2: Analyses of channel properties using electrophysiological recordings.
Feb. 5	Lecture 3: The molecular basis of function in ion channels
Feb. 12	Lecture 4: Mechanisms of inactivation and functional significance
Feb. 19	Paper 1: "Mechanisms of Shaker potassium channel inactivation." Hoshi, T. et al. 1990. Science 250: 533-538.
Feb. 26	NO CLASS (Biophysics meeting)
Mar. 5	Paper 2: "Functional stoichiometry of Shaker potassium channel inactivation." MacKinnon et al. 1993. Science 262: 757-759.
Mar. 19	* Laboratory: The Xenopus oocyte expression system; Voltage-clamp recording of ion channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes Online protocol for the oocyte expression system: http://www.physiol.arizona.edu/YLab/Xen-contents.html
Mar. 26	* Laboratory: Continued from above.
Apr. 2	Lecture 5: Theory and practice for electrophysiology data interpretation.
Apr. 9	LAB WRITE-UP DUE Paper 3: "Molecular basis of gating charge immobilization in Shaker potassium channels" Bezanilla et al., 1991. Science 254: 679-683
Apr. 16	Lecture 6: Ligand-gated channels
Apr. 23	Paper 4: "Molecular mechanism of cyclic-nucleotide-gated channel activation" Goulding et al. 1994. Nature 372: 369-374.
Apr. 30	OUTLINE OF RESEARCH PROPOSAL DUE Paper 5: "Functional role of the ß-subunit of high conductance calcium-activated potassium channels." McManus et al. 1995. Neuron 14: 645-650.
May 7	(NO CLASS) FINAL RESEARCH PROPOSAL PAPER due, before 4 pm. Turn in to Dr. Yool (BRL B110) or to Loretta (FOB 131).

* For laboratories, class is not at the regularly scheduled time. Smaller groups will meet in 2 hour blocks during the day. Actual schedule to be arranged.

The Faculty Office Building (FOB) is located at 1609 N. Warren, northwest of the University Medical Center. There are metered parking, zone 1 parking, and a shuttle stop near by. Dr. Yool’s office is in Building B, room 110, in the Biomedical Research Labs, near the FOB.