Chemical protein labeling approaches to study TRPC5 channel regulation in adipocytes.

The protein TRPC5 forms homo- and heterotetrameric cation channels that play key roles in cellular signalling and responses to chemical and physical environmental factors, and its implication in human disease (including anxiety disorders, kidney disease and obesity) has resulted in TRPC5 channels emerging as potential therapeutic targets. TRPC5 is expressed in human perivascular fat and adipocyte TRPC5 channels act as sensors of dietary fatty acids.
In this interdisciplinary project, the student will develop novel chemical approaches to label endogenous TRPC5 channels in adipocytes, which will allow the study of the expression, localisation and interactions of TRPC5 in different depots of mouse adipose tissues at various stages of adipocyte differentiation. The student will use synthetic chemistry to develop novel chemical probes, and different cellular and biochemical assays to test and validate their ability to selectively label TRPC5 channels. The student will work closely with a chemist and a molecular biologist who study the mode-of-action of other small-molecule based TRPC1/4/5 modulators