# DEVELOPMENTAL MODULATION OF ION CHANNEL PROPERTIES

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 1994 · $172,644

## Abstract

The long-term objective of our research is to understand the developmental
regulation of ion channels during early embryogenesis.  The ontogeny of
electrical excitability involves more than the synthesis and insertion of
ion channels during terminal differentiation, since in most animals the
unfertilized oocyte has voltage-gated ion channels similar to those found
in mature excitable cells.  Only recently has the completely with which
these channels are regulated during early embryogenesis been recognized.
and the mechanisms responsible have received much less attention than their
counterparts in mature cells.  The biological significance of channel
modulation in embryos is not well understood, but the complex patterns of
modulation that occur over long periods of development suggest that the
proper integration of changes in ton channel properties with developmental
events is an essential part of embryogenesis.

We study this problem in ascidian embryos.  Ascidians are advanced marine
invertebrates, classified in the same phylum (Chordata) as mammals.  The
small cell number, identifiability of cells, early commitment of cell
fates, and well-described fate maps make them very useful for
electrophysiological studies.  The particular species we use has an
endogenous orange pigment that marks muscle-lineage cells and allows them
to be identified visually at very early stages.  This has allowed us to
describe differentiation of ion channel populations in muscle that occurs
long before overt morphological differentiation.  To map changes in ton
channel properties during embryogenesis, we isolate identified cells from
various stages and use the whole-cell patch clamp technique.  Our results
show numerous examples of specific modulation of ion channels at defined
developmental stages.  Our proposed experiments have two goals: (1) to
investigate the mechanisms by which changes in ion channel properties occur
and are coordinated with other events of development, and (2)to test the
hypothesis that this tight coordination reflects a developmental function
for the channels involved.  These experiments are directly relevant to
diseases in which abnormalities occur in the development of cell electrical
properties.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 2197471
- **Project number:** 5R01HD017486-11
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **SAM.gov UEI:** HD1WMN6945W6
- **Principal Investigator:** WILLIAM J MOODY
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1994
- **Award amount:** $172,644
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1983-04-01 → 1997-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/2197471

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 2197471, DEVELOPMENTAL MODULATION OF ION CHANNEL PROPERTIES (5R01HD017486-11). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/2197471. Licensed CC0.

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