We run on electricity. Brains, muscles, hearts, and senses all require electrical signals to function properly. Our research aims to understand the basic components of excitable cells that are responsible for generating electrical activity. To this end, we focus on understanding the structure, function, and regulation of ion channels from a high-resolution viewpoint.

Patch-clamp characterization of the MscS-like mechanosensitive channel from Silicibacter pomeroyi. Petrov, E., Palanivelu, D., Nomura, T., Constantine, M., Rohde, P.R., Cox, C.D., Minor, D.L., Jr., and Martinac, B. Biophysical Journal (In Press) Using yeast to study potassium channel function and interactions with small molecules.Bagriantsev, S. and Minor, D.L., Jr., Methods in Molecular Biology series (Humana Press, Springer), entitled Chemical Neurobiology: Methods and Protocols (In Press) Structure of a Ca2+/CaM:Kv7.4 (KCNQ4) B-helix complex provides insight into M-current modulation. Xu, Q., Chang, A., Tolia, A., and Minor, D.L., Jr., Journal of Molecular Biology 425 378-394 (2013) PMID: 23178170 PMCID:PMC3540129 Metabolic and thermal stimuli control K2P2.1 (TREK-1) through modular sensory and gating domains. Bagriantsev, S., Clark, K.A., and Minor, D.L., Jr., The EMBO Journal 31 3297-3308 (2012) PMID: 22728824 PMCID: PMC3411076 A glutamate switch controls voltage-sensitive phosphatase function. Liu L., Kohout, S.C., Xu, Q., Müller, S., Kimberlin, C.R., Isacoff, E.Y. Minor, D.L., Jr., Nature Structural and Molecular Biology 19 633-641 (2012) PMID: 22562138 PMCID: PMC3529583 Chemical informatics and target identification in a zebrafish phenotypic screen. Laggner, C., Kokel, D., Setola, V., Tolia, A., Lin, H., Irwin, J.J., Keiser, M.J., Minor, D.L., Jr., Roth, B.L., Peterson, R.T., Shoichet, B.K., Nature Chemical Biology 8 144-146 (2012) PMID:22179068 PMCID: PMC3262069 Multiple modalities converge on a common gate to control K2P channel function. Sviatoslav N Bagriantsev, Remi Peyronnet, Kimberly A Clark, Eric Honore, Daniel L Minor Jr. The EMBO Journal 30, 3594–3606 (2011) Voltage-gated sodium channel (NaV) protein dissection creates a set of functional pore-only proteins. David Shaya, Mohamed Kreir, Rebecca A. Robbins, Stephanie Wong, Justus Hammon, Andrea Br�ggemann, and Daniel L. Minor, Jr. PNAS Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. Jul 26;108(30):12313-8. (2011) Calmodulin overexpression does not alter Cav1.2 function or oligomerization state. Felix Findeisen, Alexandra Tolia, Ryan Arant, Eun Young Kim, Ehud Y. Isacoff and Daniel L. Minor, Jr. Channels 5:4, 320-324; (2011) Progress in the structural understanding of voltage-gated calcium channel (CaV) function and modulation. Findeisen, Felix, Minor, Jr., D.L., Channels 4, 28-43 (2010) Structural Basis for the Differential Effects of CaBP1 and Calmodulin on CaV1.2 Calcium-Dependent Inactivation. Findeisen, F., Minor, Jr., D.L. Structure 18, 1617–1631 (2010) Multiple C-terminal tail Ca2+/CaMs regulate CaV1.2 function but do not mediate channel dimerization. Ki., E., Rumpf, C., Van Petegem, F., Arant, R.J., Findeisen, F., Cooley, E., Isacoff, E., Minor, Jr., D.L. The EMBO Journal, 29, 3924-3938 (2010) Small molecule-ion channel match making: A natural fit for new ASIC ligands. Bagriantsev, S. and Minor, D.L., Jr., Neuron 68 1-3 (2010) Calmodulin interactions with CaV1 and CaV2 voltage-gated calcium channel IQ domains. Kim, E., Findeisen, F., Minor, Jr., D.L. Handbook of Metalloproteins (2010) Electrochemical coupling in the voltage-dependent phosphatase Ci-VSP. Kohout, S., Bell, S.C., Liu, L., Xu, Q., Minor, Jr., D.L., Isacoff, E.Y. Nature Chemical Biology 6, 369-375 (2010) Published in the Handbook of Cell Signaling, 2nd Edition, Chapter author: Daniel L. Minor, An Overview of Ion Channel Structure., Pages 201-208, Copyright Elsevier (2009) Chatelain, F.C., Gazzarrini, S., Fujiwara, Y., Arrigoni, C., Domigan, C., Ferrara, G., Pantoja, C., Thiel, G., Moroni, A., Minor, Jr., D.L., Selection of Inhibitor-Resistant Viral Potassium Channels Identifies a Selectivity Filter Site that Affects Barium and Amantadine Block PLoS ONE Vol 4 Issue 10 e7496 (2009)