Northwestern Events Calendar

Apr
6
2015

Department of Pharmacology: Research Works-in-Progress

When: Monday, April 6, 2015
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM CT

Where: Ward Building, Conference Room 5-230, 303 E. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611 map it

Audience: Faculty/Staff - Student - Public - Post Docs/Docs - Graduate Students

Contact: Kristina Lynn Ballard   (312) 503-4892

Group: Department of Pharmacology Seminars

Category: Academic

Description:

*Franck Potet, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor

Regulation of the Human Cardiac Sodium Channel by Intracellular Calcium

Sodium (Na) channels are fundamental signaling molecules in excitable cells that allow the passage of Na+ ions through the cell membrane. Voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels in cardiac myocytes are responsible for initiating the action potentials that ultimately cause the rhythmic contraction of the heart. When electrically excitable cells are subjected to pathophysiologic stress a rise in intracellular free calcium (Cai) occurs, which alters NaV function by modifying its inactivation properties.

*Claire Vernon, Graduate Student

Kainate Receptor Modulation in Peripheral Sensory Neurons

Kainate receptors (KARs) are expressed throughout the nervous system, including in those pathways comprising the pain neuraxis. Both human and animal studies support a role for KARs in mediating aggravated pain rather than acute pain yet the molecular basis of this distinction remains unclear. In this study, we find that KAR subunit composition in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons varies both between cells and across development. This suggests that the effect of activating DRG KARs is highly cell-specific and age-dependent. These results provide insight into KAR function in sensory signaling pathways and are key in understanding the mechanistic basis of KAR contribution to pain.

 

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