Division of Intramural Research
Laboratory of Molecular Cardiology
Introduction
The Laboratory of Molecular Cardiology investigates the regulation,
expression and function of contractile proteins with an emphasis on
myosin. We are particularly interested in the mechanisms responsible
for regulating the contractile proteins in nonmuscle and smooth muscle
cells as well as the factors that govern the transcription and expression
of the genes encoding the contractile proteins. We focus on vertebrate
nonmuscle myosin II, the conventional form of myosin present in all
eukaryotic cells as well as other classes of myosin such as myosin
I, III, V, X and XV from a variety of sources. By studying the genes,
mRNA, and proteins active in the contractile process during embryonic
development and maturity, we hope to understand the mechanisms by which
cells differentiate, alter their phenotype, migrate, change shape,
move membrane receptors, secrete cellular products, and proliferate.
We are using this information to understand both normal and disease
processes.
The laboratory is presently staffed by three tenured investigators
who are all section heads. Bob Adelstein (the
Lab Chief) is Head of the Section on Muscle Molecular Biology, Jim
Sellers is the Head of the Cellular and Molecular Motility Section
and Neal Epstein is the Head of the Molecular Physiology Section. Sachiyo
Kawamoto, a Staff Scientist, is studying nonmuscle myosin gene
regulation including the regulation of cell-specific alternative splicing
of nonmuscle myosin II-B.
There are on average 20 to 30 people working in the lab. We are particularly
proud of our summer program, in which we train students (high school,
college, medical, veterinary, pharmacy and graduate school) for 2-3
months during the year. Many of these students go on to earn advanced
degrees.
We hold a lab meeting once a week at which time one of the lab members
presents their recent work. We have a journal club at which time one
lab member presents and discusses recent journal article(s) distributed
to all earlier in the week. We meet once a month with the Laboratory
of Cell Biology (NHLBI) and many lab members participate in one or
more of the NIH interest groups.
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