Heat Shock Proteins and Ion Channels. Functional Interactions and Therapeutic Consequences

Screening for protein interaction partners of ion channels helps to elucidate signaling cascades to cellular targets and processes for a better understanding of the origin of diseases. Most important are the cytosolic segments of membrane- bound voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels or from ion channel regulators, which may connect to specific signaling complexes. So far, not much is known about those interactions. Molecular chaperones are proteins, which support the biosynthesis of proteins during maturation without being part of the final protein complex or which support the degradation of targeted proteins within the cellular protein quality control.