We are pleased to announce that on May 9th, 2025, Shur Karolina Gałecka successfully defended her PhD thesis entitled: „Mitochondrial large-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel – structure and interactions”
The research was carried out at the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, in the Intracellular Ion Channels Laboratory under the supervision of Dr. hab. Bogusz Kulawiak.
Karolina Gałecka’s work focused on mitochondrial potassium channels of the BKCa type, which are activated by calcium ions. In the experimental part of her thesis, she demonstrated that the VEDEC isoform of the α subunit can form a functional mitoBKCa channel in the inner mitochondrial membrane of HEK293T cells. This was shown using patch-clamp electrophysiology and immunofluorescence techniques.
In the second part of her study, she identified potential protein partners of the regulatory β4 subunit of the BKCa channel. Using TurboID-based proximity labeling and mass spectrometry, she identified several interactors as a novel mitoBKCa-associated protein.
This dissertation makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the structure and regulation of mitochondrial potassium channels, which are crucial for cell physiology, ischemic protection, and cancer metabolism.
