Hidden Markov Ion Channel Characterization

The activity of ion channel proteins is central to many physiological processes, including synapticimpulse propagation in the nervous system, the control of cardiac function and vascular resistance,in epithelia, and the control of hormone secretion. Central to the understanding of ion channel funccharacterization of the stochastic behavior of single channels as recorded using the patch clamp teckinetic characterization, molecular details such as ligand binding rates and the rates and patternscan be elucidated. Recently, hidden Markov models have been investigated for application to kineticchannels. We will advance this work by creating and evaluating a computer program to analyze single-characterize ion channel kinetics using hidden Markov models. The application of this analysis promimeaningful kinetic information to be obtained from channels having low conductances (e.g. CFTR and Crapid kinetics (synaptic receptors, Na+ channels) whose characterization has been hindered in the panoise ratio in the recordings. Computer programs providing hidden Markov analysis of patch-clamp recviable commercial products.