Research Topics
Department of Physiology & Biophysics
M.D. (1956) University of Chile
Research Topics
Research Interests
Our laboratory is interested in understanding the effect of hormones on the nigro-striatal dopamine (DA) system, an essential component of the functions of the basal ganglia.
Physiological, biochemical, and neuropharmacological approaches are designed to examine the effect of steroid hormone (estrogen-progesterone testosterone) and a recently discovered novel dopamine releasing protein (DARP) on the function of this system.
It appears that estrogen, testosterone and progesterone exert part of their effect upon this system by an action at the membrane level through binding to specific membrane sites. Physiological characterization of these putative membrane receptors in male and female rats internalization and intracellular trafficking, as well as their purification using affinity chromatography are major components of our present research.
Key Words Monoclonal Antibodies, Disease Models, Hormones, Animal Cell
and/or Tissue Culture, DARP, Pharmaceuticals, Neurobiology, Membrane Structure
and Function, Protein Purification and Characterization, Active Sites and Receptors,
Recombinant DNA, Gene Expression Systems
Current Research Funding
NIH, NSF pending