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Harold Zakon

Zakon, Harold
Professor in Neurobiology

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Main Office: PAT 328 Phone: 471-0194

Alternate Office: PAT 329 Phone: 471-3440

Mailing Address:
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station C0920
Section of Neurobiology
Austin,TX 78712-1095

Research Lab Members:
  • Markham, Michael
  • Rowe, Ashlee
  • Thompson, Ammon
  • Wu, Mingming

    • Research Summary:
    Ion channels are fundamental for the workings of the nervous system. We study the function, regulation, and evolution of voltage-dependent ion channels. Our main focus has been to study the regulation of sodium and potassium channels by hormones such as testosterone, estrogen, and by phosphorylation. A major emphasis of the laboratory has been cloning these ion channel genes and understanding their transcriptional regulation. In addition, we have been studying the molecular evolution of ion channel genes in vertebrates.


    Publications:
    2009 Markham MR, McAnelly ML, Stoddard PK, Zakon HH, Circadian and Social Cues Regulate Ion Channel Trafficking., PLoS Biol 7: e1000203
    2008 Liu H, Wu MM, Zakon HH., A novel Na+ channel splice form contributes to the regulation of an androgen-dependent social signal., J Neurosci 28: 9173-82
    2008 Zakon HH, Zwickl DJ, Lu Y, Hillis DM., Molecular evolution of communication signals in electric fish., J Exp Biol 211: 1814-8
    2008 Jost MC, Hillis DM, Lu Y, Kyle JW, Fozzard HA, Zakon HH., Toxin-resistant sodium channels: parallel adaptive evolution across a complete gene family., Mol Biol Evol 25: 1016-24
    2007 Liu H, Wu MM, Zakon HH, Individual variation and hormonal modulation of a sodium channel beta subunit in the electric organ correlate with variation in a social signal., Dev Neurobiol. 67: 1289-1304
    2007 McAnelly ML, Zakon HH, Androgen modulates the kinetics of the delayed rectifying K+ current in the electric organ of a weakly electric fish., Dev Neurobiol. 67: 1589-1597
    2007 Few WP, Zakon HH, Sex differences in and hormonal regulation of Kv1 potassium channel gene expression in the electric organ: molecular control of a social signal., Dev Neurobiol. 67: 535-549
    2006 Zakon HH, Lu Y, Zwickl DJ, Hillis DM, Sodium channel genes and the evolution of diversity in communication signals of electric fishes: convergent molecular evolution., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 103: 3675-3680