Brain and heart cyclic nucleotide gated ion channel compounds and uses thereof

A method for identifying a nucleic acid in a sample which encodes a BCNG protein or a BCNG-related protein which comprises:

• (a) contacting the sample with a nucleic acid probe capable of specifically hybridizing with nucleic acid encoding a BCNG protein or a BCNG-related protein under conditions permissive to the formation of a complex between the nucleic acid probe and the nucleic acid encoding the BCNG protein or the BCNG-related protein in the sample;
• (b) determining the amount of complex formed in step (a);
• and
• (c) comparing the amount of complex determined in step(b) with the amount of complex formed using an arbitrary sequence, a greater amount of complex formed with the BCNG-specific probe indicating the presence of a nucleic acid encoding a BCNG protein or a BCNG-related protein in the sample.

A method for testing whether a compound affects the expression of a BCNG protein or a BCNG-related protein which comprises:

• (a) contacting a sample which expresses a BCNG protein or a BCNG-related protein with a compound;
• (b) determining the amount of expression of BCNG protein or BCNG-related protein in the sample;
• and
• (c) comparing the amount of BCNG protein or BCNG-related protein expression determined in step (b) with the amount determined in the absence of the compound.

A method for identifing a compound capable of modulating BCNG protein or BCNG-related protein activity which comprises:

• (a) contacting a sample which expresses a BCNG protein or a BCNG-related protein with a compound;
• (b) determining the amount of activity of the BCNG protein or BCNG-related protein in the sample;
• and
• (c) comparing the amount of activity of the BCNG protein or the BCNG-related protein determined in step (b) with the amount determined in the absence of the compound, an increase or decrease in activity indicating the presence of a compound capable of modulating the activity of the BCNG protein or the BCNG-related protein.