Effects of drugs and aging on synaptic transmission are also studied. Techniques include recombinant DNA, monoclonal antibodies, cell culture, and light and electron microscopy. The objective of the research program is to understand the neuroendocrine mechanisms regulating luteinizing hormone release during different physiological conditions. In particular, the research examines the involvement of CNS neurotransmitters and endogenous opioid peptides in this process. This laboratory is involved in studies of biological rhythms and reproductive physiology.
Current research focuses on three fossorial rodent species.
The neuroendocrine and behavioral mechanisms by which the reproductive hierarchy and social structure of the colony is established and maintained in these species are also studied. This laboratory's primary research goal is to understand how voltage-gated calcium channels and the calcium signal they generate in neurons and cardiac and skeletal muscle are regulated by the cytoskeleton and associated signaling proteins. Molecular, physiological, and cell biological approaches are applied to this question, examining both heterologously expressed ion channels and those in their native tissues. Research focuses on two areas. First, the biophysical mechanisms of ion channel permeation and gating are explored by combining molecular techniques with electrophysiological analysis of channel function.