Gregory C. Amberg, PharmD, PhDAssistant Professor Phone: 970-491-6028 Education Link to a PubMed listing of Dr. Amberg's publications: |
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Research Interests
Ion channels regulate the function and activity of excitable tissues such as nerve and muscle. My research involves the study of ion channels in cerebral arterial smooth muscle and their impact on arterial function. I am particularly interested in changes in ion channel behavior during pathophysiological conditions such as hypertension. The current focus of my current research involves the investigation of highly localized calcium signals produced by L-type voltage-dependent calcium channels (called "calcium sparklets") located in the plasma membrane of cerebral arterial smooth muscle cells. Although produced by less than 1% of the functional L-type calcium channels located in an area representing less than 1% of the total surface membrane, calcium sparklets are a major contributor to calcium influx in arterial myocytes. Experimental approaches used in the lab include a combination of patch-clamp electrophysiology, molecular biological methods, pressurized intact arteries, and calcium imaging techniques such as total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) and confocal microscopy.
Featured Publications
Navedo MF, Amberg GC, Westenbroek RE, Sinnegger-Brauns MJ, Catterall WA, Striessnig J, Santana LF. 2007. Cav1.3 channels produce persistent calcium sparklets, but Cav1.2 channels are responsible for sparklets in mouse arterial smooth muscle. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 293(3):H1359-1370.
Amberg GC, Navedo MF, Nieves-Cintron M, Molkentin JD, Santana LF. 2007. Calcium sparklets regulate local and global calcium in murine arterial smooth muscle. J Physiol 579:187-201.
Amberg GC, Santana LF. 2006. Kv2 channels oppose myogenic constriction of rat cerebral arteries. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 291(2):348-356.
Navedo MF, Amberg GC, Nieves M, Molkentin JD, Santana LF. 2006. Mechanisms underlying heterogeneous Ca2+ sparklet activity in arterial smooth muscle. J Gen Physiol 127:611-622.
Navedo MF, Amberg GC, Votaw VS, Santana LF. 2005. Constitutively active L-type Ca2+ channels. PNAS 102(31):11112-11117.
Amberg GC, Bonev AD, Rossow CF, Nelson MT, Santana LF. 2003. Modulation
of the molecular composition of large-conductance, Ca2+-activated K+ channels
in vascular smooth muscle during hypertension. J Clin Invest 112:717-724.
