Sodium Channel Modulation
Sarhan, M.F., Van Petegem, F. and Ahern, C.A. "A conserved double tyrosine motif in the cardiac sodium channel domain III-IV linker underlies calcium/calmodulin binding and inactivation gating." Sept, 2009, In Press at J. Biol. Chem. [PubMed]
Ahern, C.A., Zhang, J.F., Woolkalis, M.J., and Horn, R. "Modulation of the Cardiac Sodium Channel NaV1.5 by the Src Family Tyrosine Kinase Fyn." Circulation Research 2005 96: 991 – 998 [PubMed]
Excitation-contraction coupling
Ahern, C. A, Arikkath, J., Vallejo, P., Gurnett, C., Powers, P., Campbell, K.P., and Coronado, R. "Intramembrane charge movements and excitation-contraction coupling expressed by two-domain fragments of the Ca2+ channel." 2001 Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 98 (12) 6935-6940 [PubMed]
Ahern, C. A., Sheridan, D.C., Cheng, W., Mortenson, L., Allen, P.D. and Coronado, R. "Ca2+ current and charge movements in skeletal myotubes promoted by the β subunit of the dihydropyridine receptor in the absence of ryanodine receptor type 1."2003, Biophys J. 84, 942-59 [PubMed]
Ahern, C. A., Bhattacharya,D., Mortenson, L. and Coronado, R. "A component of excitation-contraction coupling in the absence of the T671-L690 and L720-Q765 regions of the II-III loop of the dihydropyridine receptor α1s pore subunit." 2001 Biophys. J. 81, 3294-3307 [PubMed]
Voltage-sensing mechanisms
Ahern, C.A. and Horn, R. "Focused electric field across the voltage sensor of a Potassium channel." Neuron, 2005: 48 (1), 25-29 [PubMed]
Ahern, C.A. and Horn, R. "Specificity of charge-carrying residues in the voltage sensor of potassium channels." J Gen Physiol. 2004 Mar;123(3):205-16 [PubMed]
Ahern, C.A. and Horn, R. "Stirring up controversy with a voltage sensor paddle." TRENDS in Neurosciences 2004, Vol 27, No. 6: 303-307 [PubMed]
Unnatural amino acid mutagenesis
Ahern, C.A and Kobertz W. "Chemical Tools Used to Tinker with Voltage-gated Ion Channels". Biochemistry, 2009, 48(3):517-260 [PubMed]
Ahern, C.A, Eastwood, A.L., Dougherty, D.A. and Horn, R. "Role of Electrostatics in the Slow Inactivation of Shaker Potassium Channels." J Gen. Physiol. 2009 Dec;134(6):461-9 [PubMed] [Commentary]
Ahern, C.A, Eastwood, A.L., Dougherty, D.A. and Horn, R. "Electrostatic contributions of aromatic residues in the local anesthetic receptor in voltage-gated sodium channels." 2008, Circulation research, 102: 86-94 [PubMed]
Santarelli, V.P., Eastwood, A.L., Dougherty, D.A., Horn, R. and Ahern, C.A. "A cation-pi interaction with tyrosine 401 is the basis for tetrodotoxin sensitivity in the voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.4." J. Biol. Chem. 2007, 282: 8044-8051 [PubMed]
Ahern, C.A, Eastwood, A.L., Lester, H.A., Dougherty, D.A. and Horn, R. "A cation:pi interaction between extracellular TEA and an aromatic residue in potassium channels." J. Gen. Physiol. 2006;128(6):649-657 [PubMed]
