Patent ID: 6355413
Filing Date: 2002-03-12
Classification: C12Q

Abstract:
A screening method for determining ion channel modulating activity of a test substance having potential for such modulating activity, which comprises the steps of:(i) expressing a peptide, polypeptide or protein in the plasma membrane of a host cell, said peptide, polypeptide or protein having ion channel activity when expressed as a heterologous protein in the plasma membrane of the host cell; (ii) contacting said host cell with the test substance; and (iii) determining changes to the ion channel activity of said heterologous protein induced by the test substance, wherein the changes to the ion channel activity of the heterologous protein induced by the test substance are determined by detecting the effect of the test substance on changes in net movement across the plasma membrane of the host cell of small cellular metabolite molecules which do not directly permeate the ion channel formed by said heterologous protein.