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Department of Physiology and Biophysics


Email: physiology@rosalindfranklin.edu
Fax: 847.578.3265

 
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Carl White
Assistant Professor of Physiology and Biophysics
Phone: 847-578-8358
E-mail: carl.white@rosalindfranklin.edu
Carl White

 

Calcium Signaling

The modulation of intracellular calcium is a signaling system involved in the regulation of numerous cellular processes, including transepithelial transport, learning and memory, muscle contraction, membrane trafficking, synaptic transmission, secretion, motility, membrane excitability, gene expression, cell division and apoptosis. Our research effort is focused on understanding the mechanisms that underlie the generation, propagation and regulation of these calcium signals. To do this we employ a broad range of experimental approaches that include electrophysiology and calcium imaging as well as molecular and biochemical techniques.
 
We are especially interested in the behavior of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate intracellular calcium release channels (InsP3Rs). The InsP3Rs are a family of ubiquitously expressed calcium channels localized predominately in the endoplasmic reticulum and function to release calcium into the cytoplasm in response to extracellular stimuli. In particular, we are interested in how proteins regulate the basic electrophysiological properties of the channel and how this modifies the calcium signal at the cellular level. Ultimately, we hope to understand how these signals are then decoded by their cellular targets.
 

Recent Publications

Wang, X., Olberding, K.E., White, C. and Li, C. (2010) Bcl-2 proteins regulate ER membrane permeability to luminal proteins during ER stress-induced apoptosis. Cell Death & Differentiation. (in press). [PubMed]
 
Paul, A.G., Sharma-Walia, N., Kerur, N., White, C. & Chandran, B. (2010) Piracy of Prostaglandin E2/EP Receptor–Mediated Signaling by Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpes Virus (HHV-8) for Latency Gene Expression: Strategy of a Successful Pathogen. Cancer Research. 70(9), 3697- 3708. [PubMed]
 
Eckenrode, E.F., Yang, J., Velmurugan,G.V., Foskett, J.K. and White, C. (2010) Apoptosis Protection by Mcl-1 and Bcl-2 Modulation of Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptor-dependent Ca2+ Signaling. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 285(18), 13678-13684. [PubMed]
 
Li, C., Wang, X., Vais, H., Thompson, C.B., Foskett, J.K. and White, C.(2007). Apoptosis regulation by Bcl-xL modulation of mammalian InsP3R channel isoform gating. PNAS, 104(30), 12565-70. [PubMed]
 
Jones, R.G., Bui, T., White, C., Madesh, M., Krawczyk, C.M., Frauwirth, K.A., Kubek, S., Wang, L.Y., Hawkins, B.J., Lindsten, T., Conway, S., Roderick, H.L., Bootman, M.D., Shen, H., Foskett, J.K. and C. B. Thompson. (2007). Bax and Bak regulate T cell proliferation through control of ER Ca2+ homeostasis. Immunity, 27(2), 268-280. [PubMed]
 
Mak, D.-O.D., White, C., Ionescu, L. and Foskett, J.K. (2007). The inositol trisphosphate receptor Ca2+ release channel. Physiological Reviews. 87(2), 5923- 658. [PubMed]
 
White, C., Yang, J., Monteiro, M.J. and Foskett, J.K. (2006). CIB1, a ubiquitously-expressed Ca2+-binding protein-ligand of the InsP3 receptor Ca2+-release channel. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 281(30), 20825-20833[PubMed]
 
Ionescu, L., Cheung, K.H., Vais, H., Mak, D.O., White, C. and Foskett, J.K. (2006). Graded recruitment and inactivation of single InsP3 receptor Ca2+ channels. Journal of Physiology. 573, 645-662. [PubMed]
 
White, C.,Chi, L., Yang, J., Petrenko, N., Muniswamy, M., Thompson, C.B. & J. K. Foskett (2005). The endoplasmic reticulum gateway to apoptosis: Bcl-XL modulation of the InsP3 receptor. Nature Cell Biology. 7, 1021-1028. [PubMed]
 
Mak, D.-O.D., White, C., Ionescu, L. and Foskett, J.K. (2005). Nuclear patch clamp electrophysiology of inositol trisphosphate receptor Ca2+ release channels. In Putney, J.W., Jr.(ed), Calcium Signaling, 2nd Ed. CRC Press, Boca Raton.

 

 
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