Abstract: Novel zinc activated ion channel (ZAC) polypeptides, proteins and nucleic acid molecules are provided. In addition to isolated, full-length ZAC proteins, isolated ZAC fusion proteins, antigenic peptides and anti-ZAC antibodies are provided. Moreover, ZAC nucleic acid molecules, recombinant expression vectors containing a nucleic acid encoding ZAC, host cells into which the expression vectors have been introduced and nonhuman transgenic animals in which a ZAC gene has been introduced or disrupted are provided. Diagnostic, screening and therapeutic methods utilizing ZAC compositions or composition that detect, bind or modulate ZAC also are provided. Methods for identifying ZAC agonists, antagonists, inverse agonists and the like are described.