UCLA Neuroscience Program Ph.D. Admissions Neuroscience Faculty UCLA and Beyond  



Baljit Khakh
Ion Channels and Synapses

Email Address:  bkhakh@mednet.ucla.edu
Work Email Address:  bkhakh@mednet.ucla.edu
Home Page: http://www.physiology.ucla.edu/Labs/khakh/index.htm

Office Address:
UCLA
Phone Numbers:
310-825-6258

Selected Publications:

E. Richler, S. Chaumont, E. Shigetomi, A. Sagasti & BS. Khakh. Tracking transmitter-gated P2X cation channel activation in vitro and in vivo.. Nature Methods 2008; 5: 87-93.
D.N. Bowser & BS. Khakh Two forms of astrocyte single vesicle exocytosis imaged with total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy.. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2007; 104: 485-91.
Khakh, B. S. North, R. A. P2X receptors as cell surface ATP sensors in health and disease.. Nature 2006; 442: 527-532.
Khakh, B. S. Fisher, J. A. Nashmi, R. Bowser, D. N. Lester, H.A. An angstrom scale interaction between plasma membrane ATP-gated P2X2 and a4b2 nicotinic channels measured with FRET and TIRF microscopy.. J Neurosci 2005; 20: 6911-20.
Khakh, B.S. Egan, T.M. Contribution of transmembrane regions to ATP-gated P2X2 channel permeability dynamics.. J Biol Chem 2005; 280: 6118-29.
Bowser, D.N. Khakh, B.S. ATP excites interneurons and astrocytes to increase synaptic inhibtion in neuronal networks.. J Neurosci 2004; 24: 8606-20.
Egan, T.M. Khakh, B.S. Contribution of calcium ions to P2X channel responses.. J Neurosci 2004; 24: 3413-20.
Fisher, J.A. Girdler, G. Khakh, B.S. Time resolved measurement of state specific P2X ion channel cytosolic gating motions.. J Neurosci 2004; 24: 10475-10487.
Khakh, B.S. Gittermann, D. Cockayne, D.A. Jones, A. ATP Modulation of Excitatory Synapses onto Interneurons. J. Neurosci.. 2003; 23(19): 7426-7437.
Eickhorst, A. Berson, A. Cockayne, D. Lester, H.A. Khakh, B.S. Control of P2X2 channel permeability by the cytosolic domain. J Gen Physiol 2002; 120: 119-131.
Khakh, B.S. Smith, W.B. Chiu, C.S. Ju, D. Davidson, N. Lester, H.A. Activation-dependent changes in receptor distribution and dendritic morphology in hippocampal neurons expressing P2X2-green fluorescent protein receptors.. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2001; 98: 5288-5293.
Khakh, B.S. Burnstock, G. Kennedy, C. King, B.F North, R.A. Seguela, P. Voigt, M. Humphrey, P.P.A. International Union of Pharmacology. XXIV. Current status of the nomenclature and properties of P2X receptors and their subunits.. Pharmacol Rev 2001; 53: 107-118.
Khakh, B. S. Molecular physiology of P2X receptors and ATP signalling at synapses. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2001; 2(3): 165-74.
Khakh, B.S. Zhou, X. Sydes, J. Galligan, J.J. Lester, H.A. State-dependent cross-inhibition between transmitter-gated cation channels. Nature 2000; 406: 405-410.
Khakh, B.S. Proctor, W.R. Dunwiddie, T.V. Labarca, C. Lester, H.A. Allosteric Control of Gating and Kinetics at P2X4 Receptor Channels. J. Neurosci 1999; 19: 7289-7299.
Khakh, B.S. Lester, H.A. Dynamic Selectivity Filters in Ion Channels. Neuron 1999; 23: 653-658.
Khakh, B.S. Bao, X. Labarca, C. Lester, H.A. Neuronal P2X receptor-transmitter-gated cation channels change their ion selectivity in seconds. Nat Neurosci 1999; 2(4): 322-330.
Research Interest:

P2X receptors are widely expressed in the body, but their signal transduction pathways and physiological roles remain incompletely understood. The first major goal of our experiments is to understand in detail P2X channel gating, pore opening and ion conduction. To this end we use a combination of molecular biology, electrophysiology and imaging methods (FRET, TIRF, confocal). The second major goal of our experiments is to understand the physiological consequences of cellular ATP sensing by P2X receptors. For this aspect we use engineered P2X receptors with finessed properties, as well as electrophysiological and imaging studies in fresh brain slices.