BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Gene duplication and ion channel evolution in weakly electric fish
  - Prof Harold Zakon\, UT Austin
DTSTART:20160623T150000Z
DTEND:20160623T160000Z
UID:TALK66566@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Sarah Harrison
DESCRIPTION:Hodgkin and Huxley's legacy to biophysics is immense. My labor
 atory strives to continue in their footsteps by studying the evolution of 
 ion channels. In this seminar I will show that a whole genome duplication 
 in teleost fishes provided "extra" ion channel genes that served as the ra
 w material for the rapid evolution of biophysically distinct channels in t
 he electric organ of the two independently derived groups of electric fish
 es. These fish navigate in total darkness and communicate with each other 
 by electric signals. The evolutionary changes in these channels underlie s
 pecies-specific electric communication signals. In particular\, I will sho
 w how amino acid substitutions in a voltage-gated potassium channel have s
 pecialized this channel for the generation of extremely brief (~100 micros
 econd) electric organ discharges. These data are not only interesting in t
 hemselves\, but they give us insight into how some voltage-dependent prope
 rties might arise in other channels\, including mammalian channels.
LOCATION:Hodgkin Huxley Seminar Room\, Physiology Building\, Downing Site
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR