Intrinsic Properties of the Pore Forming Domain of the Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Channel

The aim is to define the intrinsic properties of the ion conducting pore of the ryanodine receptor Ca2+ release channel which is essential for skeletal and cardiac muscle function. The importance of the protein is underlined by the in utero death of knockout animals and often fatal disorders as a result of mutations in the protein. Despite the importance of the ryanodine receptor little is known about the parts of the protein that form the ion pore, the intrinsic properties of the pore or its modification by adjacent amino acids to produce the complex machinery of the protein. The outcome will be an increase in our knowledge of these basic molecular properties of ryanodine receptors and will open opportunities for drug development.