FACULTY

	Paul Slesinger, PhD Assoc. Professor PBL, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies Depts. Neurosciences and Biology, UCSD Email: slesinger@salk.edu Lab Website: http://www.salk.edu/faculty/faculty_details.php?id=49
CV
Research Description
Nerve cells communicate by sending electrical impulses along their axons, long, hair-like extensions that reach out to neighboring nerve cells. These impulses involve the opening and closing of ion channels and allow ions – electrically charged atoms – or small molecules to enter or leave the cell. The flow of these ions creates an electrical current that produces tiny voltage changes across the membrane. In his quest to understand how brain cells communicate, Dr. Paul A. Slesinger, Associate professor in the Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide Biology, focuses on one particular type of channel that allows potassium ions to cross the cell membrane. Slesinger’s research ranges from studies on the molecular details of how potassium ion channels open and close to a cellular level on the role potassium channels have in nerve cell signaling. Recent studies in the lab have also turned to investigating the role of potassium channels in drug addictions and mental disorders. Drugs can significantly alter the actions of nerve cell receptors and channels. Slesinger and his team are now looking at how to selectively manipulate the receptors and/or channels and at the cell signaling pathways that lead to addictions. They are also studying other parts of the brain, where these receptors and potassium channels may play a role in memory and other mental functions.
Recent Publications
Panicker, S, Cruz, H, Arrabit, C and Slesinger, PA (2002) Evidence for a centrally located gate in a serotonin-gated ion channel. Journal of Neuroscience 22: 1629-1639. Finley, M, Arrabit C, Fowler C, Suen KF, Slesinger PA (2004) betaL-betaM loop in the C-terminal domain of GIRK channels is important for Gbg activation. J. Physiol., 555:643-657. Cruz HG, Ivanova T, Lunn ML, Stoffel M, Slesinger PA, Lüscher C (2004) Bi-directional effects of GABAB receptor agonists on the mesolimbic dopamine system. Nature Neurosci., 7:153-159. Pegan, S., Arrabit, C., Zhou, W, Kwiatkowski, W., Collins, A., Slesinger, P.A. and Choe, S. (2005). Kir2.1 and Kir3.1 cytoplasmic domain structures reveal sites for modulating gating and rectification. Nature Neurosci.8:279-87. Clancy, S.M., Fowler, C., Finley, M., Arrabit, C., Suen, K.-F., Berton, F., Kozasa, T, Casey, P.J. and Slesinger, P.A. (2005) Pertussis toxin-sensitive Gao subunits selectively bind to C-terminal domain of neuronal GIRK channels: evidence for a heterotrimeric G-protein-channel complex. Mol. and Cell. Neurosci. 28: 375-89. Fowler, CE., Aryal, P., Suen, KF and Slesinger, PA (2007) Evidence for association of GABAB receptors with Kir3 channels and RGS4 proteins. J. Physiology, 580(Pt 1):51-65 Clancy, SM, Boyer, SB and Slesinger, PA (2007) Coregulation of natively expressed pertussis toxin-sensitive muscarinic receptors with G Protein-activated potassium channels. J. Neuroscience 27(24):6388-99. Wang, W, Takimoto, JK, Louie, GV, Baiga, TJ, Noel, JP, Lee, KF, Slesinger, PA and Wang, L (2007) Genetically encoding unnatural amino acids for cellular and neuronal studies. Nature Neuroscience 10(8):1063-72. Lunn, ML, Nassirpour, R, Arrabit, C, Tan, J, Mcleod, I, Arias, CM, Sawchenko, PE, Yates, III, JR and Slesinger, PA (2007) A unique sorting nexin regulates trafficking of potassium channels via PDZ domain interaction. Nature Neuroscience 10(10):1249-1259

Page last updated: July 14, 2009

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