Determining Concentration Levels of Inorganic Arsenic in Potatoes

Indianapolis, IN

G-Protein gated inwardly rectifiying potassium channels, known as GIRK or Kir3, are a family of potassium channels (Kir) that have been identified to have major roles in neuronal and cardiac cell function. The subunits of GIRK channels include: GIRK 1 (Kir3.1), GIRK 2 (Kir 3.2), GIRK 3 (Kir 3.3) and GIRK 4 (Kir 3.4). GIRK channels are tetrameric assemblies of these subunits (1). These assemblies can be composed of the same subunit or between different subunits of the GIRK channel family. The GIRK channels analyzed in this study are formed by the assembly between GIRK 1 and GIRK 4 subunits. The inwardly rectifying potassium channel and the underlying current I_KAch is composed of these subunits and has been identified to play a role in the most common cardiac arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation (1). We are studying the interactions between the N-terminal and C-terminal of GIRK 1 and GIRK 4 to examine what role they may play in the channel's function.