| |
|
John W. Bigbee, Ph.D.
Professor
B.A., Biology, Humboldt State University, (1971)
M.A., Biology,
Humboldt State University, (1974)
Ph.D., Neurobiology, Stanford
University, (1982)
Postdoctoral training, Department of Biochemistry,
Virginia Commonwealth University
| Office Address: | | Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology | | | | Virginia
Commonwealth University Medical Campus | | | | Box 980709 | | | | Richmond, VA 23298-0709 | | Office Phone: | | (804)
828-0948 | | FAX: | | (804) 828-9477 | | e-mail: | | jbigbee@vcu.edu |
RESEARCH AND SCHOLARLY
INTERESTS
My laboratory is studying the non-enzymatic role of acetylcholinesterase
(AChE) in neural development with specific focus on its morphogenic
capacity to support axonal growth. AChE is expressed prior to
synaptogenesis and shares sequence homology and structural similarities
with several known cell adhesion molecules, observations which suggests
that AChE promotes neurite outgrowth by modulating the adhesive properties
of neurons. We employ cell culture systems including dorsal root ganglion
neurons and neuroblastoma cell lines to examine the consequences of
pharmacological and immunological perturbation of AChE. In addition, AChE
expression in these neurons is manipulated through stable transfection and
adenoviral vectors in order to identify intracellular signaling pathways by
which AChE-mediated adhesion promotes axonal growth. At the organismic
level, we are also employing the adenovirus to either inhibit or stimulate
AChE expression in the embryo to determine the role of AChE in the
developing central nervous system. Cell-cell and cell-matirx adhesion play
pivotal roles in the morphogenesis of the nervous system and our studies
are centered on elucidating the mechanism of action of AChE and how it
interacts with the extracellular matrix as well as other families of
adhesion proteins.
REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS
Bigbee, J.W. and K.V. Sharma. The adhesive role of acetylcholinesterase
(AChE): Detection of AChE binding proteins in developing rat spinal cord.
Neurochem. Res., 29:2043-2050, 2004.
Sharma, K.V., C. Koenigsberger, S. Brimijoin and J.W. Bigbee. Direct
evidence for an adhesive function in the non-cholinergic role of
acetylcholinesterase in neurite outgrowth., J.
Neurosci. Res., 63:165-175, 2001.
Bigbee, J.W., E. Chan, O. Bogler and K.V. Sharma, Evidence for the direct
role of acetylcholinesterase in neurite outgrowth in primary dorsal root
ganglion neurons. Brain Research, 861:354-362, 2000.
|
| |
