Presidential Young Investigator Award

总统青年研究员奖

• 批准号: 8958225
• 负责人: Barbara Block
• 金额: $ 18.7万
• 依托单位: University of Chicago
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 1989
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1989-06-01 至 1994-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=8958225&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Presidential; Young; Investigator; Award

This proposal by a young investigator of unusual breadth of expertise spans several levels of biological organization. The basic interest of the PI is in the biology of muscle and, more particularly, how the membrane system within muscle cells controls the contraction/relaxation cycle of muscles. In ordinary striated muscle, ie, those that contract to produce movement, these membranes serve as storage depots for calcium ions. The release /sequestration of calcium ions in the membranous system of such muscle cells regulates their contraction. The PI is examining the coupling of these calcium mechanisms to the impulse generated by nerves which initiates the contractile event. To do so she employs a unique muscle cell found in the eye muscles of deep-diving fish such as the marlin, that is, a muscle cell that does not contract but rather produces heat. This "heater tissue" is used to warm blood on its way to the fish's brain, thus keeping the brain warm even while the fish dives in deep and cold water. The PI is currently studying the elaborate counter-current heat exchange system at the base of this heater organ, using biochemical and morphological methodologies to study how these cells regulate the movement of calcium and thereby generate heat. Using a unique, non- contracting muscle system the PI will also be addressing questions of interest to all contractile physiologists.

这项建议是由一位年轻的研究人员提出的，他具有非同寻常的专业知识，跨越了生物组织的几个层面。PI的基本兴趣是肌肉的生物学，更具体地说，肌肉细胞内的膜系统如何控制肌肉的收缩/松弛周期。在普通的横纹肌中，即那些收缩以产生运动的肌肉中，这些膜充当钙离子的储存库。这些肌肉细胞膜系统中钙离子的释放/隔离调节着它们的收缩。PI正在研究这些钙机制与神经产生的冲动的耦合，神经产生的冲动启动了收缩事件。为了做到这一点，她使用了一种在马林鱼等深潜鱼的眼睛肌肉中发现的独特的肌肉细胞，即不收缩而是产生热量的肌肉细胞。这种“加热器组织”被用来加热进入鱼大脑的血液，从而即使在鱼潜入又深又冷的水中时，也能使大脑保持温暖。PI目前正在研究以这个加热器为基础的复杂的逆流热交换系统，使用生化和形态学方法来研究这些细胞如何调节钙的运动，从而产生热量。使用一种独特的非收缩肌肉系统，PI还将解决所有收缩生理学家感兴趣的问题。