RSS 1.0BioCurrents Research Center
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The BioCurrents Research Center (BRC) is a resource of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), part of the Biomedical Technology division of the National Center for Research Resources.
The emphasis of the BRC is on the physiology of cellular transport mechanisms, particularly as they influence the boundary conditions in the media adjacent to the plasma membrane. To this end we develop new microsensor technologies that operate in a self-referencing mode. We offer access to ion-selective, electrochemical and biosensor devices, coupled to advanced imaging techniques and electrophysiological approaches, combinations unique to the BRC.
Recent Submissions
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Dissecting the determinants of light sensitivity in amphioxus microvillar photoreceptors : possible evolutionary implications for melanopsin signaling
(Society for Neuroscience, 2012-12-12)Melanopsin, a photopigment related to the rhodopsin of microvillar photoreceptors of invertebrates, evolved in vertebrates to subserve nonvisual light-sensing functions, such as the pupillary reflex and entrainment of ... -
Melanopsin-expressing amphioxus photoreceptors transduce light via a phospholipase C signaling cascade
(Public Library of Science, 2012-01-03)Melanopsin, the receptor molecule that underlies light sensitivity in mammalian ‘circadian’ receptors, is homologous to invertebrate rhodopsins and has been proposed to operate via a similar signaling pathway. Its downstream ... -
Bcl-xL regulates metabolic efficiency of neurons through interaction with the mitochondrial F1FO ATP synthase
(2011-06)Anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family proteins such as Bcl-xL protect cells from death by sequestering apoptotic molecules, but also contribute to normal neuronal function. We find in hippocampal neurons that Bcl-xL enhances the ... -
Regeneration in the era of functional genomics and gene network analysis
(Marine Biological Laboratory, 2011-08)What gives an organism the ability to regrow tissues and to recover function where another organism fails is the central problem of regenerative biology. The challenge is to describe the mechanisms of regeneration at the ... -
Dielectrophoretic tweezer for isolating and manipulating target cells
(2010-06-03)The ability to isolate and accurately position single cells in three dimensions is becoming increasingly important in many areas of biological research. We describe the design, theoretical modeling and testing of a novel ... -
Arrestin in ciliary invertebrate photoreceptors : molecular identification and functional analysis in vivo
(Society for Neuroscience, 2011-02-02)Arrestin was identified in ciliary photoreceptors of Pecten irradians, and its role in terminating the light response was established electrophysiologically. Downstream effectors in these unusual visual cells diverge from ... -
Construction, Theory, and Practical Considerations for using Self-referencing of Ca2+-Selective Microelectrodes for Monitoring Extracellular Ca2+ Gradients
(2010-10)Ca2+ signaling in the extra- and intracellular domains is linked to Ca2+ transport across the plasma membrane. Non-invasive monitoring of these resulting extracellular Ca2+ gradients with self-referencing of Ca2+-selective ... -
Windows to cell function and dysfunction : signatures written in the boundary layers
(2010-01-26)The medium surrounding cells either in culture or in tissues contains a chemical mix varying with cell state. As solutes move in and out of the cytoplasmic compartment they set up characteristic signatures in the cellular ... -
Calcium-independent, cGMP-mediated light adaptation in invertebrate ciliary photoreceptors
(Society for Neuroscience, 2005-02-23)Calcium is thought to be essential for adaptation of sensory receptor cells. However, the transduction cascade of hyperpolarizing, ciliary photoreceptors of the scallop does not use IP3-mediated Ca release, and the ... -
Schistosoma mansoni P-glycoprotein levels increase in response to praziquantel exposure and correlate with reduced praziquantel susceptibility
(2009-04-28)One potential physiological target for new antischistosomals is the parasite's system for excretion of wastes and xenobiotics. P-glycoprotein (Pgp), a member of the ATP-binding cassette superfamily of proteins, is an ... -
A direct signaling role for phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) in the visual excitation process of microvillar receptors
(American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2005-03-01)In microvillar photoreceptors the pivotal role of phospholipase C in light transduction is undisputed, but previous attempts to account for the photoresponse solely in terms of downstream products of phosphatidylinositol ... -
Modulation of the actin cytoskeleton via gelsolin regulates aacuolar H+-ATPase recycling
(American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2004-12-09)The role of the actin cytoskeleton in regulating membrane protein trafficking is complex and depends on the cell type and protein being examined. Using the epididymis as a model system in which luminal acidification is ... -
Targeting, import, and dimerization of a mammalian mitochondrial ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter, ABCB10 (ABC-me)
(American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2004-06-23)ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters are a diverse superfamily of energy-dependent membrane translocases. Although responsible for the majority of transmembrane transport in bacteria, they are relatively uncommon in ... -
Paraquat increases cyanide-insensitive respiration in murine lung epithelial cells by activating an NAD(P)H:paraquat oxidoreductase : identification of the enzyme as thioredoxin reductase
(American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2007-01-17)Pulmonary fibrosis is one of the most severe consequences of exposure to paraquat, an herbicide that causes rapid alveolar inflammation and epithelial cell damage. Paraquat is known to induce toxicity in cells by stimulating ... -
Ion trapping with fast-response ion-selective microelectrodes enhances detection of extracellular ion channel gradients
(2008-11)Previously, functional mapping of channels has been achieved by measuring the passage of net charge and of specific ions with electrophysiological and intracellular fluorescence imaging techniques. However, functional ... -
Dielectrophoretic assembly of insulinoma cells and fluorescent nanosensors into three-dimensional pseudo-islet constructs
(2007-11-14)Dielectrophoretic forces, generated by radio-frequency voltages applied to micromachined, transparent, indium tin oxide electrodes, have been used to condense suspensions of insulinoma cells (BETA-TC-6 and INS-1) into a ... -
Atypical properties of a conventional calcium channel β subunit from the platyhelminth Schistosoma mansoni
(BioMed Central, 2008-03-26)The function of voltage-gated calcium (Cav) channels greatly depends on coupling to cytoplasmic accessory β subunits, which not only promote surface expression, but also modulate gating and kinetic properties of the α1 ... -
On the gating mechanisms of the light-dependent conductance in Pecten hyperpolarizing photoreceptors : does light remove inactivation in voltage-dependent K channels?
(Rockefeller University Press, 2005-04-11)The hyperpolarizing receptor potential of ciliary photoreceptors of scallop and other mollusks is mediated by a cGMP-activated K conductance; these cells also express a transient potassium current triggered by depolarization. ... -
Modulation of extracellular proton fluxes from retinal horizontal cells of the catfish by depolarization and glutamate
(Rockefeller University Press, 2007-07-30)Self-referencing H+-selective microelectrodes were used to measure extracellular proton fluxes from cone-driven horizontal cells isolated from the retina of the catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). The neurotransmitter glutamate ... -
Electrokinetic measurements of membrane capacitance and conductance for pancreatic β-cells
(2005-10-31)Membrane capacitance and membrane conductance values are reported for insulin secreting cells (primary β-cells and INS-1 insulinoma cells) determined using the methods of dielectrophoresis and electrorotation. The membrane ...
