department of developmental biology
Alumni Endowed Professor
Department of Developmental Biology
Neurosciences Program
Molecular Cell Biology ProgramResearch Interests
Ongoing research in this laboratory is focused on delineating the mechanisms involved in the regulation and modulation of voltage-gated ion channels in cardiac myocytes and cortical neurons. In the myocardium, our interest is in the Ca++- independent depolarization-activated K+ channels that determine the heights and the durations of cardiac action potentials. In addition to examining the electrophysiological properties of these channels, we are exploring the molecular basis of the functional diversity of K+ channels found in cardiac cells and the molecualr mechanisms controlling the regulation of functional K+ channel expression in the normal as well as the diseased heart. In addition, we are exploiting dominant negative and targeted deletion strategies to effect the functional knockout of K+ channels in the mouse heart and examining the physiological and pathophysiological consequences of these maniplations.
In the central nervous system, our efforts are focused on defining how differences in the types and densities of the voltage-gated K+ channels expressed in cortical neurons contribute to the generation of distinct electrophysiological phenotypes. In addition, ongoing studies are aimed at defining the molecular basis of functional K+ channel diversity in cortical neurons and on delineating the molecular mechanisims controling the porperties, the expression , thr trafficking and the distribution of the channels in vitro and in vivo.Nerbonne Biosketch
Education:
- 1974 B.Sc., Chemistry, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA
- 1978 Ph.D., Organic Chemistry, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Professional Experience:
- 2002- present Alumni Endowed Professor, Department of Molecular Biology & Pharmacology, Washington Univerisity School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- 1997 - 2001 Professor, Department of Molecular Biology & Pharmacology, Washington Univerisity School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- 1991 - 1996 Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Biology & Pharmacology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- 1985 - 1990 Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
Honors and Awards:
- 2002-present Alumni endowed Professor of Molecular Biology and Pharmacology
- 1984-1989 American Heart Association Established Investigator Award
- 1981-1983 American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship Award
- 1979-1981 National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellowship Award
- 1979 W. W. Zorbach Memorial Prize for the Outstanding Chemistry Ph.D. Dissertation, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Professional Affiliations:
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- American Physiological Society
- Society of General Physiologists
- Society for Neuroscience
Editorial Service:
- Associate Editor, Journal of Neuroscience
- 1998 - present Editorial Board, Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology
- 1995 - 1998 Editorial Board, American Journal of Physiology
- 1995 - present Editorial Board, Circulation Research
- 1995 - present Editorial Board, Journal of General Physiology
Selected Publications
Pond, A.L., and Nerbonne, J.M. ERG proteins and functional IKr channels in rat, mouse and human hearts. Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine 11: 286-294 (2001).Nerbonne, J.M., Nichols, C.G., Schwarz, T.L., and Escande, D. Genetic manipulation of cardiac K+ channel function: What have we learned and where do we go from here? Circulation Reaearch 89: 944-956 (2001).
Guo, W., Li, H., Aimond, F., Johns, D.C., Rhodes, K.J., Trimmer, J,S., and Nerbonne, J.M. Role of heteromultimers in the generation of myocardial transient outward K+ currents. Circulation Research 90: 586-593 (2002).
Nerbonne, J.M., and Guo, W. Heterogeneous expression of voltage-gated K+ channels in the heart: roles in normal excitation and arrhythmias. Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology 13; 406-409 (2002).
Malin, S., and Nerbonne, J.M., Delayed rectifier K+ currents, IK, are encoded by Kv2 alpha subunits and regulated tonic firing in mammalian sympathetic neurons. Journal of Neuroscience 22: 10094-10105 (2002).
Contact Information
Jeanne M. Nerbonne
Department of Developmental Biology
Washington University School of Medicine
Campus Box 8103
660 South Euclid Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63110
(314) 362-2564
jnerbonn@wustl.eduLaboratory Website