Cavins: mobile regulators of β-adrenoceptor signalling in the cardiac cell
Dr William Fuller is studying the mechanisms that control how the heart responds to adrenaline, the hormone that increases the strength of the heartbeat. Caveolae are small pits in the cell membrane that bring proteins together so they can communicate with each other. Dr Fuller has discovered that caveolae control the way heart muscle cells respond to hormones like adrenaline, which increases the strength of the heartbeat. Proteins called cavins seem to move in and out of caveolae when cells are stimulated with adrenaline. The heart’s response to adrenaline changes in diseases such as heart failure, so understanding this better may reveal new ways to treat these conditions. Dr Fuller has found that cavins are recruited to caveolae very quickly when adrenaline is released. In this project, in rats, he will work out how proteins interact in caveolae and what effects adrenaline-like drugs have on these proteins. He will use state-of-the-art chemical analysis and microscope technology to detect the protein changes in caveolae and the arrangement of proteins within them. This research will help us understand how the healthy heart works by establishing how cavins are involved in the heart’s response to adrenaline and what goes wrong in heart failure.
Project details
| Grant amount | £252,527 |
|---|---|
| Grant type | Project Grants |
| Application type | Project Grant |
| Start Date | 01 January 2016 |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Reference | PG/15/42/31563 |
| Status | Complete |
