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Faculty Detail     Name KEVIN L KIRK   Campus Address MCLM 982B Zip 0005 Phone 205-934-3122 E-mail klkirk@uab.edu Other websites

Faculty Appointment(s) Appointment Type Department Division Rank Primary  Cell, Developmntl, & Integrative Biology  Cell, Developmntl, & Integrative Biology Professor Secondary  Medicine  Med - Nephrology Assistant Professor Secondary  Neurobiology  Neurobiology Professor Center  Civitan International Research Center  Civitan International Research Center Professor Center  Cystic Fibrosis Research Center  Cystic Fibrosis Research Center Professor Center  Medicine  Nephrology Res & Trng Ctr Professor

Graduate Biomedical Sciences Affiliations Cell, Molecular, & Developmental Biology  Cellular and Molecular Biology Program  Hughes Med-Grad Fellowship Program  Integrative Biomedical Sciences  Neuroscience  Pathobiology and Molecular Medicine  Waiting to be Seated

Biographical Sketch  Kevin L. Kirk (b. 1954), Professor, completed undergraduate studies in Psychobiology at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa (B.A., 1976) and did graduate work in Physiology and Biophysics at the University of Iowa (Ph.D., 1981). He came to UAB in 1981 as a postdoctoral fellow and joined the Department of Physiology and Biophysics in 1984.   Dr. Kirk has received several awards for his research including the Karlin Henze Memorial Award for Cystic Fibrosis Research; a Searle Scholar Award and an Established Investigatorship from the American Heart Association.

Society Memberships Organization Name Position Held Org Link American Physiological Society      Biophysical Society

Research/Clinical Interest Title The CFTR Chloride Channel Description Our research centers on the epithelial chloride channel (CFTR) that is encoded by the gene that is defective in cystic fibrosis. This chloride channel is implicated in two major human diseases: cystic fibrosis (low CFTR activity in lung) and secretory diarrhea (excessive CFTR activity in gut). We have identified novel CFTR binding proteins that govern the functional activity of this chloride channel in epithelial tissues. In addition, we are investigating how CFTR channel gating is controlled by interactions among the various cytoplasmic domains of this ion channel. Each of these interactions is a potential target for physiologic and pharmacologic manipulation of CFTR channel activity. By defining the functional relevance and structural basis of each of these intermolecular and intramolecular interactions, we hope to develop new strategies for treating diseases such as cystic fibrosis and diarrhea.

Selected Publications  Publication PUBMEDID Kirk, K.L. and Wang, W. A unified view of Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) gating: combining the allosterism of a ligand-gated channel with the enzymatic activity of an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter. J. Biol. Chem. 286: 12813-12819, 2011.  21296873  Wang, W., J. Wu, K. Bernard, G. Li, G. Wang, M.O. Bevensee and K.L. Kirk. ATP-independent CFTR channel gating and allosteric modulation by phosphorylation. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci USA. 107:3888-3893, 2010  20133716  Bernard, K., W. Wang, R. Narlawar, B. Schmidt and K.L. Kirk. Curcumin cross-links cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) polypeptides and potentiates CFTR channel activity by distinct mechanisms. J. Biol. Chem. 284:30754-30765, 2009.  19740743  Wang, W., K. Bernard, G. Li and K.L. Kirk. Curcumin opens CFTR channels by a novel mechanism that requires neither ATP binding nor dimerization of the nucleotide binding domains. J. Biol Chem 282(7): 4533-4544, 2007.   17178710  Wang, W., G. Li, J.P. Clancy and K.L. Kirk. Activating CFTR chloride channels with pore blocker analogs. J. Biol. Chem. 280(25): 23622-23630, 2005  15857825  Wang, W., C. Oliva, A. Holmgren, C. H. Lillig and K.L. Kirk. Reversible silencing of CFTR channels by glutathionylation. J. Gen. Physiol. 125:1-16, 2005.  15657297  Cormet-Boyaka, E, M Jablonsky, AP Naren, PL Jackson, DD Muccio and KL Kirk. Rescuing cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator(CFTR)-processing mutants by transcomplementation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 101(21): 8221-8226, 2004.  15141088  Ganeshan R., A Di, DJ Nelson, MW Quick and KL Kirk. The interaction between syntaxin 1A and Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Cl- channels is mechanistically distinct from syntaxin 1A-SNARE interactions. J. Biol. Chem. 278(5):2876-2885, 2003  12446687  Estelle Cormet-Boyaka, Anke Di, Steven Y. Chang, Anjaparavanda P. Naren, Albert Tousson, Deborah J. Nelson, and Kevin L. Kirk. CFTR chloride channels are regulated by a SNAP-23/syntaxin1A complex. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 99 (19): 12477-12483,2002.  12209004  Fu, J., H.J.Li, A.P. Naren and K.L. Kirk. A cluster of negative charges at the amino terminal tail of CFTR regulates ATP dependent channel gating. J. Physiol. 536(2):459-470,2001.  11600681  First Prev   1 2 of  2  Next Last

Keywords cystic fibrosis, CFTR, ion channel, diarrhea, protein-protein interactions, patch clamping, electrophysiology, ABC transporters

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