The acceptance of scientific works submitted to the “Scientist of the Year – 2025” award competition, organized by the Azerbaijan Science Foundation, as well as the scientific expert evaluation stage, has been completed. Based on the evaluation results, Fidan Qudretova, a research fellow of the “Molecular Cell Biochemistry and Signal Transduction” Laboratory of the Institute of Biophysics (now the Institute of Molecular Biology) of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, has been declared the winner in the nomination “Young Scientists and Researchers (under 35 years of age).”

The scientific article submitted to the competition:

Yusifov, T., Qudretova, F., & Aliyeva, A. (2025). Cytochrome C-like Domain Within the Human BK Channel. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(15), 7053.

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26157053

Article Summary

Recent studies demonstrate that human BK channels possess multiple physiological roles, including involvement in the pathogenesis of epilepsy, hypertension, hearing loss, and ataxia. In addition, due to the presence of various signaling molecules regulating channel function, BK channels play a specific role in cancer and kidney diseases. However, fundamental questions regarding the molecular mechanisms underlying such a broad functional spectrum of BK channels remain unresolved. As a result of investigations conducted by the researcher into the molecular mechanisms regulating BK channel activity, a novel functional biological structure—a cytochrome c-like domain conferring peroxidase activity to BK channels—was identified. It was demonstrated that this domain catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Studies performed by the competition winner using human-derived recombinant proteins showed that while the potassium (K⁺) ion conductance properties of BK channels protect cells from abnormal excitability, their enzymatic activity may protect cells from widespread and potentially fatal oxidative stress. The identification of novel enzymatic properties of human BK channels provides a basis for elucidating new physiological roles of these ion channels, understanding their unique functions related to cellular metabolism, and opens broad prospects for the development of new therapeutic strategies for various diseases associated with BK channel dysfunction.