Background
Neuronal P2Y receptors, i.e. nucleotide-sensitive G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), are known to control various voltage-gated ion channels, in particular KV7 K+ and CaV2.2 Ca2+ channels. The differential modulation of these ion channels via GPCRs was shown to rely on the presence or absence of scaffolding proteins such as AKAP79/150 and NHERF-2. Since scaffold proteins are believed to bring GPCRs and ion channels in close proximity to guarantee efficient G protein-mediated modulation, this project evaluates whether a tight contact between P2Y receptors and ion channels is a prerequisite for their functional interaction.