Research
NMR solution structure of Tv1: Tv1 is the first terebrid toxin (from the marine snail Terebra variegata) for which a structure was derived, and it adopts a different fold from any previously known toxins, indicating the potential of finding toxins with new and different target selectivities and mechanisms of action in this family of marine snails (P. Anand et al., PLoS One 9(4): e94122.)
Current projects in the lab focus on the interactions of ion channels with animal peptide toxins that target these channels. Ion channels are membrane proteins that allow the flow of specific ions through the membrane. The voltage-gated potassium and sodium channels are two examples of these channels that are specific for potassium and sodium, respectively, and that together are responsible for generating the action potential that allows nerve signal transmission along nerve cells to occur. Many animals therefore have developed toxins that affect these channels and as a consequence disrupt nerve transmission in their prey. The Poget lab seeks to identify novel toxins from animal venom sources and to investigate their mode of action and the structural details of their interaction with the channels. The goal of this research is to better understand how channel activity can be modulated and to find and characterize new tools for doing so. This knowledge may eventually lead to the development of drugs for conditions that involve ion channels, such as epilepsy, cardiac arrhythmias and pain.