Dorothy A. Hanck, Ph.D.
    
           

Primary:

Professor, Department of Medicine and the College

Secondary:

Committee on Cellular and Molecular Physiology
Committee on Computational Neuroscience
Committee on Neurobiology
Committee on Molecular Medicine

Education:

Degree Year Institution Area
BS   1968
   Illinois State University   English
PhD
   1981
   Temple University School of Medicine
   Physiology


Phone: (773) 702-1758
E-Mail: dhanck@uchicago.edu
Address: AMB M602

Web page:
 http://neurobiology.bsd.uchicago.edu/faculty/hanck.htm
http://med-www02.bsd.uchicago.edu/faculty_internet/faculty_profile.asp?empl_id=3486

Research Summary

Ion channel biophysics and molecular pharmacology

My laboratory provides an integrated environment for electrophysiological, molecular biological, and modeling of basic biophysics, physiology, and molecular pharmacology of ion channels important in controlling cell excitability in health and disease. The laboratory provides a full range of electrophysiological techniques, including (a) whole cell voltage clamp, (b) single channel recording, and (c) gating current recording, as well as opportunities to use molecular biological techniques to investigate the structural basis of channel behavior. The laboratory also offers a wide variety of computer based modeling tools, including for molecular modeling and kinetics, for quantitative analyses and testing of theory with experimental data. The primary research focus currently is directed at sodium channels, low voltage activated calcium channels (T-type calcium channels), critical for controlling burst firing in a variety of neurons and other excitable cells, and connexins, the proteins involved in forming communication pathways between cells.

Selected Publications

Puljung, M.C., V.M. Berthoud, E.C. Beyer, and D.A. Hanck.  Polyvalent cations constitute the voltage gating particle in human connexin37 hemichannels.  J. Gen. Physiol., 124:587-603, 2004.

Sheets, M.F. and D.A. Hanck.  Charge immobilization of the voltage sensor in Domain IV is independent of sodium current inactivation.  J. Physiol., 563:83-93, 2005.

Lam, A.D., M.D. Chikina, M.M. McNulty, I.W. Glaaser, and D.A. Hanck.  Role of Domain IV/S4 Outermost Arginines in Gating of T-type Calcium Channels.  Pflugers Archiv:  European Journal of Physiology., Pflugers Archiv.,  45:349-61, 2005.

Zhong, X, J.R. Liu, J.W. Kyle, D.A. Hanck, and W.S. Agnew.  A profile of alternative RNA splicing and transcript variation of CACNA1H, a human T-channel gene candidate for idiopathic generalized epilepsies.  Human Molecular Genetics, 15:1497-512, 2006.

Emerick, M.C., R. Stein, R.F. Kunze, M.M. McNulty, D.A. Hanck, and W.S. Agnew.  Profiling the array of Ca(v)3.1 variants from the human T-type calcium channel gene CACNA1G: Alternative structures, developmental expression, and biophysical variations.  Proteins, 64:320-42, 2006.

Freeze, B., M.M. McNulty, and D.A. Hanck.  State-dependent verapmail block of the cloned human Cav3.1 T-type Ca2+ channel. Molecular Pharmacology, 70:718-26, 2006.

McNulty, M.M., J.W. Kyle, G.M. Lipkind, and D.A. Hanck.  An inner pore residue (N406) in the Nav1.5 channel controls slow inactivation and enhances mibefradil block to T-type Ca2+ channel levels.  Molecular Pharmacology, 70:1514-23, 2006.

McNulty, M.M., G.B. Edgerton, R.D. Shah, D.A. Hanck, H.A. Fozzard, and G.M. Lipkind.  Lidocaine produces electrostatic block of human cardiac voltage-gated sodium channels. Journal of Physiology, 58:741:755, 2007.

Hanck. D.A. and H.A. Fozzard.  Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels. In: "Biological Membrane Ion Channels:  Dynamics, Structure and Applications".  Shin-Ho Chung and Olaf S. Andersen eds.  Springer-Verlag.  2007.

Hanck, D.A. and M.F. Sheets. Anthopleurin Toxins and Cardiac Na Channels. Toxicon.,  49:181-193, 2007.

Updated 8/13/07.