Section on Cell Biology and Signal Transduction

Head: James Russell

This section investigates cell biological aspects of receptor mediated intracellular calcium signals in neurons and glial cells. Glial cells respond to synaptic activity during brain development as well as in normal brain function by a mechanism of calcium based excitability. This Section studies the processes that support long distance signaling in glial networks in response to neuronal activity. Fluorescence microscopy and digital image processing are used to measure intracellular calcium concentration with high temporal and spatial resolutions. Problems under analysis concern molecular mechanisms of receptor mediated intracellular signals in astroglia and neurons, description of cellular processes that underlie temporal and spatial patterns in intracellular calcium waves, and the significance of such patterns in cellular physiology and cell-cell communication. We have identified locally specialized microdomains of calcium release important for locally discrete calcium signals and global signals. In addition, we investigate the role of mitochondria in local cellular calcium signaling.

Resources

• Employee Listing
• E-Mail the Lab: james@helix.nih.gov
• SCBST Home Page