Peter R. Brink
 Professor
and Chairman
PhD, Univ. Illinois
Phone: (631) 444-3124
Peter@patch.pnb.sunysb.edu
Department of Physiology & Biophysics
Basic Sciences Tower 6-191
Lab Personnel:
S. V. Ramanan - Instructor
Katrin Banach - Postdoctoral Fellow
RESEARCH:
The
research effort in my laboratory focuses on intercellular
communication mediated by gap junctions and mechanisms of
solute/water secretion in lacrimal acinar cells.
Intercellular
Communication: Gap Junctions
The laboratory has an ongoing interest in connexins of cardiac
myocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells. They are essential
to processes such as vaso-motor tone and cardiac arrhythmias.
Much of our effort focuses on quantification of gap junction
selectivity to solutes of the size and charge of metabolites
and second messengers. Our most recent data shows that mesenchymal
stem cells are able to form gap junctions with cardiac myocytes.
These data show that mesenchymal stem cells can be used as
a cellular delivery system for a variety of solutes. We continue
to investigate the selectivity properties of gap junction
channels composed of connexins to a wide variety of solutes
involved in coordinated tissue function. These studies are
done in conjugation with Dr. Ira Cohen at Stony Brook and
Drs. Richard Robinson and Micheal Rosen at Columbia University.
Lacrimal
gland secretions
The lacrimal gland is a major source of fluid to the surface
of the eye. The transport of solutes across the epithelium
of the lacrimal gland generates tear fluid and is therefore
potentially a major site in causing dry eye for example. We
use knockout mice devoid of specific transporters and/or channels
to understand the molecular basis of fluid secretion. We have
developed an in situ method to measure stimulated
and non-stimulated tear flow from the lacrimal gland. We also
use perforated and whole cell patch clamp along with monitoring
of cell volume regulation to assess the processes responsible
for secretion at the cellular level. These studies are done
in collaboration with Dr Leon Moore, Dr Gary Matthews and
Dr Ben Walcott at Stony Brook.
Recent
publications:
2002
Brink, P.R. Are gap junction channels a therapeutic target
and if so what properties are best exploited. Current
Drug Targets 3:417-25
2002
Walcott B, Moore L, Birzgalis A, Claros N, Brink PR. A model
of fluid secretion by the acinar cells of the mouse lacrimal
gland. Adv Exp Med Biol. 506:191-197.
2002 Brink PR, Valiunas V, Moore L, Birzgalis A, Walcott B.
The role of gap junctions in lacrimal acinar cells: the formation
of tears. Adv Exp Med Biol. 506:109-113
2002
Walcott, B., G. Matthews, P.R. Brink Differences in
stimulus induced calcium increases in lacrimal gland acinar
cells from normal and NZB/NZW F1 female mice. Current Eye
Research 25: 253-260.
2003
Martinez-Wittingham, F.J., C. Sellito, L. Li, X. Gong, P.R.
Brink, R.T. Mathias, and T.W. White. Dominant cataracts result
from incongruous mixing of wild-type lens connexins. J.Cell
Biol. 161:969-978
2004
Plotnikov,A.N., E.A. Sosunov, J. Qu, I. Shlapakova, E.P. Anykhovsky,
L.Liu, M.J. Janse, P.R. Brink, I.S. Cohen, R.B. Robinson,
P. Danilo, and M.R. Rosen. A biological pacemaker implanted
in thecanine left bundle branch provides ventricular escape
rhythms have physiologically acceptable rates. Circulation
109:506-512
2004
Goldberg, G., V. Valiunas, P.R. and Brink Selectivity Permeability
of gap junction channels Biochem, Biophysica Acta. 662:96-101
2004
Virginijus Valiunas, Sergey Doronin, Laima Valiuniene, Irina
Potapova, Joan Zuckerman, Benjamin Walcott, Richard B. Robinson,
Michael R. Rosen, Peter R. Brink and Ira S.Cohen. Human mesenchymal
stem cells make cardiac connexins and form functional gap
junctions. Journal of Physiology: 555:617-626
2004
Potapova I , Plotnikov A, Lu Z, Danilo P
, Valiunas V, Qu J, Doronin S, Zuckerman
J, Shlapakova I, Gao J, Pan Z, Herron A, Robinson RB, Brink
PR Rosen M, and Cohen IS. Human
Mesenchymal Stem Cells as a Gene Delivery System to fabricate
a Biological Pacemaker Circulation Res :94:952-959.
2004
Mese, G., E Londin, R. Mui, P.R. Brink, T.W. White Altered
gating properties fo functional Cx26 mutants associated with
recessive non-syndromic hearing loss. Human Genetics: 115:191-199
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