| |
| |
| Chris J. McBain, Ph.D., Senior Investigator |
 |
Dr. McBain received his BSc from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland and Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, England, where he worked with Ray Hill studying spontaneously arising epileptiform activity in the rat hippocampus. During a postdoctoral fellowship with Raymond Dingledine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he studied glutamate receptor function, regulation of the extracellular volume fraction and hippocampal synaptic transmission with particular relevance to the epilepsies. After a brief period in the laboratory of Julie Kauer at Duke University, Dr. McBain joined NICHD as an Investigator within the Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurophysiology. He is currently a Senior Investigator and Chief of the Laboratory of Cellular and Synaptic Neurophysiology within the NICHD. His laboratory is studying mechanisms of synaptic transmission and the role of voltage-gated channels in the regulation of excitability within hippocampal circuits.
|
|
Staff:
- Mr. Christian Cea-Del Rio, Predoctoral Fellow, (301) 402-4781 ceadelrc@mail.nih.gov
- Dr. Michael Daw, Ph.D., Visiting Fellow, (301) 402-4781 dawmicha@mail.nih.gov
- Dr. Brian Erkkila, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow erkkilab@mail.nih.gov
- Ms. Michelle Ho, Predoctoral Fellow, (301) 402-4781 tszwanho@mail.nih.gov
- Mr. Brian Jeffries, Research Assistant, (301) 402-4782 jeffribr@mail.nih.gov
- Elizabeth Mayne, Pre-doctoral IRTA maynee@mail.nih.gov
- Dr. Ken Pelkey, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, (301) 402-4781 pelkeyk2@mail.nih.gov
- Mr. Madhav Sukumaran, Predoctoral Fellow sukumarm@mail.nih.gov
- Dr. Christine Torborg, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, (301) 402-4781 torborgc@mail.nih.gov
- Dr. Ludovic Tricoire, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, (301) 402-4781 tricolud@mail.nih.gov
- Ms. Xiao-qing Yuan, Research Assistant xiaoqing@mail.nih.gov
Research Interests:
Work in the McBain Laboratory is targeted towards elucidating the precise nature of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission between specific identified neural populations within the hippocampus and cortical formations. Using electrophysiological, immunohistochemical, anatomical and molecular techniques we hope to gain significant insight into the activity dependent regulation of synaptic efficacy under both physiological and pathophysiological conditions. It is our hope that by understanding the basic mechanisms underlying synaptic transmission onto specific targets we can begin to elucidate the roles played by the various neuronal and non-neuronal elements in specific clinically relevant disorders.
As our model we have chosen to study subpopulations of principal and local circuit inhibitory interneurons within the hippocampal formation. At the level of the hippocampal network, the net flow of information is strongly modulated by the action of the local-circuit GABAergic inhibitory interneurons, whose cell bodies are distributed throughout all layers of the hippocampus and comprise ~10-15% of the total neuronal population. Work performed in my laboratory over the last few years has contributed to a growing body of literature showing that not only do the basic physiological properties of these cells differ from pyramidal neurons, but interneurons also possess a repertoire of both voltage gated and ligand gated channels distinct from principal neurons. These differences range from the molecular identity of receptors and channels to mechanisms of short- and long-term synaptic plasticity and signal transduction mechanisms associated with glutamate receptors.
|
Selected Recent Publications:
Pelkey, KA., Topolnik, L., Yuan X.-Q., Lacaille, J.-C., & McBain, C.J. (InPress) State-dependent cAMP sensitivity of presynaptic function underlies metaplasticity in a hippocampal feedforward inhibitory circuit., Neuron.
Terashima, A*., Pelkey, K.A*., Rah, J.-C., Suh, Y.H., Roche, K.W., Collingridge G.L., McBain, C.J., & Isaac, J.T.R. (2008) An essential role for PICK1 in NMDA receptor-dependent bidirectional synaptic plasticity., Neuron 57, 872-882.
Full Text/Abstract
Suh, Y.H., Pelkey, KA., Lavezzari, G., , Roche, P.A., Huganir, R.L., McBain, C.J., Roche, K.W. (2008) Co-requirements of PICK1 binding and PKC phosphorylation for stable surface expression of the metabotropic glutamate receptor mGluR7., Neuron 58, 736-748.
Full Text/Abstract
Ho, T.W*., Pelkey, K.A*., Topolnik, L., Petralia, R.S., Takamiya, K., Xia, J., Huganir, R.L., Lacaille, J.-C., & McBain, C.J. (2007) Developmental expression of Ca2+-permeable AMPARs underlies depolarization-induced LTD at mossy fiber-CA3 pyramid synapses, Journal of Neuroscience 27, 11663-11675.
Full Text/Abstract
Lawrence, J.J., Statland, J.M., Grinspan, Z.M., & McBain, C.J. (2006) Cell type-specific dependence of muscarinic signaling in mouse hippocampal stratum oriens interneurons, Journal of Physiology 570.3, 595-610.
Full Text/Abstract
Plant, K., Pelkey, K.A., Bortolotto, Z.A., Terashima, A., McBain, C.J., Collingridge, G.L., Isaac, J.T.R. (2006) Transient incorporation of native GluR2-lacking AMPA receptors mediates an initial component of hippocampal CA1 LTP, Nature Neuroscience 9, 602-604.
Full Text/Abstract
Pelkey, KA., Topolnik, L., Lacaille, J.-C., & McBain, C.J. (2006) Compartmentalized Ca2+ channel regulation at functionally divergent release sites of single mossy fibers underlies target-cell dependent plasticity, Neuron 52, 497-510.
Full Text/Abstract
All Selected Publications
Contact Information:
Dr. Chris J. McBain
Laboratory of Cellular and Synaptic Neurophysiology, NICHD
Porter Neuroscience Research Center
Building 35, Room 3C-903
35 Convent Drive, MSC 3715
Bethesda, MD 20892-3715
Telephone: (301) 402-4778 (office),
(301) 402-4778 (laboratory),
(301) 402-4777 (fax)
Email: mcbainc@mail.nih.gov
|
|
