Pharmacology & Cancer Biology | Duke University Medical Center

Dr. Antonius VanDongen

Antonius VanDongen, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology
Associate Professor of Neurobiology

Duke University Medical Center
C138A LSRC
Box 3813
Durham, NC 27710

Phone: 919-681-4862
E-mail: vando005@mc.duke.edu
Web site

Research Interests

Ion channels are large membrane proteins that serve many roles in signal transduction, including control of electrical excitability, synaptic transmission, secretion of hormones and neurotransmitters, and regulation of cell division and differentiation. Channels can perform all these various function by controlling the membrane potential and by regulating the flow of important ions, like Ca 2+ . We would like to understand how ion channels work, at the molecular level. In addition, we are interested how cells control functional expression of ion channels. Two model systems are used: a voltage-dependent K channel from rat brain and the NMDA receptor, a glutamate-gated Ca channel that plays critical roles in the brain development and neuroplasticity. For a detailed description of current research projects please visit our web site at: www.vandongen-lab.com

Publications

Grigston JC, VanDongen HMA, McNamara II, JO and VanDongen AMJ, 2005, Translation of an integral membrane protein in distal dendrites of hippocampal neurons, Eur. J. Neurosci. 21: 1457-1468.

Chapman ML and VanDongen AMJ, 2005, K channel subconductance levels result from heteromeric pore conformations, J. Gen. Physiol. 126: 87-1

VanDongen AMJ, 2004, K channel gating by an affinity-switching selectivity filter, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101: 3248-3252.

Kalbaugh T, VanDongen HMA and VanDongen AMJ, 2004, Molecular determinants of affinity and efficacy in the NMDA receptor ligand binding domains. Mol. Pharmacol. 66: 209-219.

J.O. McNamara II, H.M.A. VanDongen, A.M.J. VanDongen, 2004, Dendritic Protein Transport Pathways of Mammalian Hippocampal Neurons Visualized with GFP-TGN38, Mol. Brain Res. 127: 68-78.

Jones KS , VanDongen HMA and VanDongen AMJ, 2002, The NMDA receptor M3 segment is a conserved transduction element coupling ligand binding to channel opening, J. Neurosci. 22: 2044-2053.

Krovetz HS, Chapman ML and VanDongen AMJ, 2001, GYGD pore motifs in neighboring Potassium channel subunits interact to determine ion selectivity,J. Physiol. 530: 1-19.

Chapman ML, VanDongen HMA and VanDongen AMJ, 1997, Activation-dependent subconductance levels in the drk1 K channel suggest a subunit basis for ion permeation and gating, Biophysical Journal 72: 708-719

Wood, MW, VanDongen, HMA and VanDongen AMJ, 1996, The 5'-untranslated region of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor NR2A subunit controls efficiency of translation, Journal of Biological Chemistry 271(14): 8115-8120

Wood MW, VanDongen HMA and VanDongen AMJ, 1995, Structural conservation of ion conduction pathways in K channels and glutamate receptors. Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A. 92(11): 4882-4886.

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