Dr Nina Storey

Research Interests and Techniques

Brief summary of current Research Interests

Ion channel modulation underlies many physiological processes. We study the fundamental properties of heart cells and ion channel modulation by intracellular signaling pathways that regulate cardiac myocyte function.

Fig1.  Single cardiac myocyte

Major Areas of Research

• To investigate cardiac voltage-gated ion channel regulation by hormone signalling, including G protein signaling, rapid effects of steroid hormones, calcium and phosphorylation
• To understand the molecular mechanisms of cardiac protection focusing on the role and regulation of K_ATP ion channels in cardiac muscle
• To understand the molecular processes of reperfusion injury, focusing on the central role of the mitochondria for reactive oxygen species production and mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening

Techniques

We take an integrated approach and the methods that we currently use include the following:

• Electrophysiology to record ion channel activity by recording action potentials or whole-cell currents and single channel currents

Fig2.  Single K_ATP channel currents

• Single cell imaging to detect fluorescent indicators of intracellular calcium, reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial membrane potential, and other factors or GFP tagged recombinant proteins
• Molecular biology approaches to investigate the role and regulation of ion channels taking advantage of many types of constructs for up/down regulation of ion channel subunits and for structure function analysis
• Measurement of single cardiac myocyte contraction

Research Group and Funding

Current Group Members

Yusuf Bhagatte

Current Funding

British Heart Foundation

Recent Publications

Storey NM, Gentile G, Ullah H, Gentile S, Russo A, Muessel MJ, Erxleben C and Armstrong DL. (2006). Rapid signaling at the plasma membrane by a nuclear receptor for thyroid hormone. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 103: 5197–5201.

Storey NM, Gomez-Angelats M, Armstrong DL and Cidlowski J. (2003). Stimulation of Kv1.3 potassium channels by death receptors during Apotosis in Jurkat T lymphocytes. Journal of Biological Chemistry 278: 33319-33326.

Storey NM, O’Bryan JP and Armstrong DL. (2002). Rac and Rho mediate opposing hormonal regulation of ether-a-go-go-related potassium channel. Current Biology 12 :27-33.

Storey NM, Latchman DS and Bevan S. (2002) Selective internalization of sodium channels in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons infected with Herpes simplex virus-1. Journal of Cell Biology 158: 1251-1262.