Dr. Diane Papazian
Professor
53-159 CHS
310-206-7043
papazian@mednet.ucla.edu

Visit My Lab

Research interests:

Our research focuses on the electrical excitability of the brain ranging from molecules to behavior. We are investigating the function of voltage-gated ion channels that confer excitability on neurons, the effect of channel properties on cell and circuit firing patterns, the neural control of behavior, and the relationship between spike activity and neuronal viability.

Representative publications:

Koag, M.-C. and Papazian, D.M. (2009) Voltage-dependent conformational changes of KvAP S4 segment in bacterial membrane environment. Channels, in press.

Lin, M.A. and Papazian, D.M. (2007) Differences between ion binding to eag and HERG voltage sensors contribute to differential regulation of activation and deactivation gating. Channels 1, 429-437.
 
Waters, M.F., Minassian, N.A., Stevanin, G., Figueroa, K.P., Bannister, J.P.A., Nolte, D., Mock, A.F., Evidente, V.G., Fee, D., Müller, U., Dürr, A., Brice, A., Papazian, D.M., and Pulst, S.M. (2006) Mutations in the voltage-gated potassium channel KCNC3 cause degenerative and developmental CNS phenotypes. Nat. Genet. 38, 447-451.

Bannister, J.P.A., Chanda, B., Bezanilla, F., and Papazian, D.M. (2005) Optical detection of rate-determining, ion-modulated conformational changes of the ether-à-go-go K+ channel voltage sensor. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102, 18718-18723.

Link to my complete PubMed bibliography

Representative Publications:

Chen, B.M. and Grinnell, A.D. (1997) Kinetics, Ca++ dependence, and biophysical properties of integrin-mediated mechanical modulation of transmitter release from frog motor neerve terminals. J. Neurosci.  17:904-916

Yazejian, B.M., Sun, X.-P., and Grinnell, A.D. (2000) Tracking presynaptic Ca++ dynamics during neurotransmitter release with Ca++-activated K+ channels. Nature Neurosci. 3:566-571.

Sun, V.-P., Yazejian, B, and Grinnell, A.D. (2004) Electrophysiological properties of BK channels in Xenopus motor nerve terminals. J. Physiol. 557:207-228

Synapse in Xenopus 
Nerve-muscle cell culture

Freeze-etch of frog nmj