The human and rat ASIC3 concatamers allow to study the functional differences between orthologues of these ion channels
Researchers from the Laboratory of Neuroreceptors and Neuroregulators IBCh RAS have advanced the use of concatemeric constructs to investigate acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3), a promising target for pain therapy. By assembling rat and human ASIC3 subunits in certain combinations and orders, the research team established that functional properties of resulted channels are determined not only by the subunit composition but by the genes sequence into the concatemer. Homomeric concatemers closely reproduced the properties of native ASIC3 channels, whereas exchange of a single subunit markedly altered proton sensitivity and channel gating. The study provides new insight into species-specific ASIC3 function and offers a valuable experimental framework for interpreting rodent studies in the context of human physiology. The results are published in the Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry.
july 2