Monday 23 September, 1:00pm
Biochemistry Seminar Room BIG13
Prof Pete Jones
Dept. of Physiology
Regulation of RyR2 in the heart and brain
RyR2 is responsible for releasing the majority of calcium required for contraction of the heart. Consequently, dysfunction of RyR2 leads to arrhythmias and heart failure. In the brain RyR2 is important to set basal neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission, hence changes can lead to seizures and cognitive disfunction such as Alzheimer’s disease. In this seminar Prof Jones will describe his work examining how post-translational modifications of RyR2 alter its function and lead to arrhythmias, and how antagonism of RyR2 might prevent arrhythmias and Alzheimer's disease. He will also detail his research using super-resolution microscopy to determine how changes in the ultrastructural arrangement of RyR2 channels in the heart and brain lead to disease.