Isabelle Baconguis, Ph.D.
- Assistant Professor, Vollum Institute
- Assistant Scientist, Vollum Institute
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, School of Medicine
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, School of Medicine
- Program in Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, School of Medicine
Biography
Isabelle Baconguis graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Biochemistry in 2005. She remained at the University of Pennsylvania for two years studying glutamate receptors. She joined the Neuroscience Graduate Program at OHSU in 2007. During her doctoral research at the Vollum Institute, she studied acid sensing ion channels (ASICs), members of the superfamily of amiloride-sensitive and Na+-selective trimeric ion channels. Using a combination of x-ray crystallography and electrophysiology, she exploited toxin-dependent modulation of ASIC function to elaborate molecular mechanisms of gating, selectivity and ion channel block. She joined the Vollum Insitute as a Vollum fellow in 2013 and was promoted to assistant scientist in 2016.
The Baconguis lab is pursuing atomic-resolution mechanisms of sodium-selective and voltage-independent ion channels involved in a spectrum of processes ranging from synaptic transmission to regulation of salt homeostasis.
Education and training
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Degrees
- B.A., 2005, University of Pennsylvania
- Ph.D., 2013, Oregon Health & Science University
Areas of interest
- x-ray crystallography and electrophysiology
- cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM)
- sodium channels
- ion channels
- channel assembly, channel gating, and ion selectivity
- protein biochemistry
- structural biology
Additional information
Honors and awards
- NIH Director's Early Independence Award (2013-2018)
- Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, NIH (2011-2013)
Publications
Selected publications
- — Most Recent —Noreng S, Posert R, Bharadwaj A, Houser A, Baconguis I. (2020) Molecular principles of assembly, activation, and inhibition in epithelial sodium channel. eLife 2020 Jul 30; 9:e59038
Publications
Structural insights into subunit-dependent functional regulation in epithelial sodium channels
StructureAppia
PloS oneSensitive genetically encoded sensors for population and subcellular imaging of cAMP in vivo
Nature MethodsLight-coupled cryo-plunger for time-resolved cryo-EM
Journal of Structural BiologyMolecular principles of assembly, activation, and inhibition in epithelial sodium channel
eLifeStructure of the human epithelial sodium channel by cryo-electron microscopy
eLifeArchitecture of fully occupied GluA2 AMPA receptor-TARP complex elucidated by cryo-EM
NatureScreening and large-scale expression of membrane proteins in mammalian cells for structural studies
Nature protocolsX-ray structure of acid-sensing ion channel 1-snake toxin complex reveals open state of a Na+-selective channel
CellStructural plasticity and dynamic selectivity of acid-sensing ion channelspider toxin complexes
NatureEvidence for a third sodium-binding site in glutamate transporters suggests an ion/substrate coupling model
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of AmericaFyn-mediated phosphorylation of NR2B Tyr-1336 controls calpain-mediated NR2B cleavage in neurons and heterologous systems
Journal of Biological ChemistryN-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-dependent regulation of the glutamate transporter excitatory amino acid carrier 1
Journal of Biological Chemistry