The goal of our research program is to understand the signal transduction processes that result in activation of muscle contraction and subsequent shortening in all types of muscle (skeletal, cardiac and smooth). We strive to understand the fundamental properties of this signal transduction pathway in health, disease, and in post-mortem tissue.
Skeletal muscle, calcium regulation and cytoskeletal dynamics. The regulation of skeletal muscle contraction is investigated at the structural and biochemical level using fluorescence microscopy and spectrofluorometry of labeled proteins. Special emphasis is placed upon the mechanism of cooperative activation of contraction by either calcium or myosin crossbridges. Protein interactions within the troponin-tropomyosin complex on thin filaments are investigated in terms of long-range interactions which influence the affinity of troponin subunits for the thin filament. Cytoskeletal dynamics are followed in situ by monitoring the rate of incorporation of fluorescent structural proteins into isolated myofibrils and monitoring the microscopic fluorescence intensity relative to another fluorescent probe in the myofibril.
Anatomy, Atomic & Molecular Structure, Bioassay, Biochemistry, Proteins, Biodegradation, Biological Markers, Biomedical Research Training, Cardiovascular Diseases, Cardiovascular System, Computer Graphics, Computer Simulation/Modeling, Enzymes, Histology, Instrumentation
