Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine

Future Research Projects

SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION AND TRAFFICKING OF G PROTEIN-COUPLED RECEPTORS

Supervisor

Dr Pete Johnson
Assistant Professor of Physiology

BACKGROUND

Many important neurotransmitters and hormones activate their targets via G protein-coupled receptors. Recent studies have shown that many G protein-coupled receptors "internalise" following activation, and this has important consequences for drugs acting at these receptors. It has also been shown that receptors for one neurotransmitter may "cross-talk" with other receptors and regulate each others signal transduction pathways. This research has particular significance in the treatment of heart disease, where G-protein-coupled receptor ligands such as adenosine and opioids have potential therapeutic value.

AIMS OF THE PROJECT

This research aims to establish methods for quantifying receptor internalisation, and then to investigate the effect of specific opioid and adenosine receptor ligands on internalisation of receptors.

METHODS

This project will use immunohistochemical methods and confocal fluorescence microscopy to investigate receptor trafficking in cultured cells as well as cardiac and intestinal animal tissue.