INTRACELULAR CA2+ RELEASE CHANNELS IN HEART

Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN

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Abstract

DESCRIPTION My research proposal is aimed at studying the intracellular calcium release channels (ICRC) with reference to cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR) i.e., ryanodine receptor 2. RyR2 is the major intracellular calcium release channel in the heart, it regulates intracellular calcium in response to extracellular calcium that enters via dihydropyridine receptors in the plasma membrane. This phenomenon is referred to as calcium release. RyR2 is also found in the neurons of the brain along with RyR1, RyR3 and inositol 1, 4, 5-tris phosphate receptors (IP3R). My studies are aimed essentially at the understanding of the molecular physiology of RyR2, its structure, time course expression and tissue distribution in heart and brain of mouse embryo along with RyR1, RyR3 and IP3R. The availability of immunological tools i.e., common and isoform-specific antibodies for each class of ICRC will enable me to carry out immunolocalization studies of ICRC. Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death. My studies aim at the understanding of the developmental and age-related changes which are associated with the ICRC in mammalian heart and brain.