Universitat de BarcelonaMolecular Physiology Laboratory

kv1.5Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University of Barcelona

Members                                 Research interest
Selected Publications               Collaborations
Group's Photo



 

Members

Antonio Felipe Campo , PhD, Associate Professor
 

PhD Students and Fellows

Ramón Martínez Mármol
Joanna Bielanska

Laura Solé Codina
Mireia Pérez Verdaguer

Anna Oliveras Martínez

Albert Vallejo Gracia

Sara Roig Merino

 

Former graduate students

Mireia Coma Camprodón
Rinat Dahan
Gemma Fuster Orellana
Maribel Grande Robles
Meritxell Roura Ferrer
Irini Tsevi
Rubén Vicente García
Núria Villalonga Barceló


 

Research interest
 

    The Molecular Physiology laboratory is interested on the molecular identification and physiological role of  Na and K ionic channels from immune system cells, and its regulation in the cardiovascular and nervous system. Ionic channels are the membrane proteins responsible of the action potential regulation and to keep the membrane potential by passing ions through the lipid structure of plasma membrane. Their activity is very important in synaptic transmission and in the electric waves in the brain. They also play a key role in the cardiac action potential. Whereas the physiological role of ionic channels in tissues having electric properties is quite clear, their role in non-electrically cell types is uncertain. Thus, it has been suggested that ionic channels play an important role in the insulin release from b-pancreatic cells. In kidney are related to ionic reabsortion  and cell volume control during filtering. In uterus, where ionic channels are almost undetectable in basal conditions, are highly induced  the last hours of pregnancy. This fact could be related to the uterine contractions during delivery. In the immune system cells, it is known the existence of Na and K ionic currents however, few proteins have been identified and almost nothing is known about their physiological role. Few studies show that ionic channel activity could be related to nitric oxide production and TNF -α release. These results suggest that ionic channels play an important role in the immunological response to external injuries (viral or bacterial infections) or autoimmune diseases. In the striated muscle, ion channels play a key role in cellular differentiation and proliferation. Our interest is to study the role of voltage-dependent ion channels during cell cycle progression and  G0 withdraw. This process leads to myotube fusion by means of membrane hyperpolarization.  The knowledge of the responsible fusion mechanisms between myoblasts and myoubes is important for the treatment based in regeneration and gene therapies in muscle disorders.
 

Selected Publications:
 

Ion channels

     Felipe, A., Snyders, D.J., Deal, K.K., Tamkun, M.M. Influence of cloned voltage-gated potassium channel expression on alanine transport, Rb+ uptake, and cell volume.American Journal Physiology (Cell Physiology)  265 (1993) C1230-C1238.

     Felipe, A., Knittle, T.J; Doyle, K.L.; Snyders, D.J.; Tamkun, M.M. Differential expression during development and pregnancy of Isk mRNAs in mouse tissue.American Journal Physiology (Cell Physiology) 267 (1994)  C700-C705.

     Yang, T., Wathen, M.S., Felipe, A., Tamkun, M.M., Snyders, D.J., Roden, D.M. Potassium currents and K+ channel mRNA in cultured atrial cardiac myocytes (AT-1 cells). Circulation Research 75 (1994) 870-878.

    Felipe, A., Knittle, T.J., Doyle, K.L., Tamkun, M.M. Primary structure and differential expression during development and pregnancy of a novel voltage-gated sodium channel in the mouse.Journal Biological Chemistry 269 (1994) 30125-30131.

     Hulme, J.T., Coppock, E.A, Felipe, A.,  Martens, J.R. and Tamkun, M.M.Oxygen sensitivity of cloned voltage-gated K+ channels expressed in the pulmonary vasculature. Circulation Research 85 (1999) 489-497.

     Fuster, G., Vicente, R., Coma, M., Grande, M. and Felipe A. One-step reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for semiquantitative analysis of mRNA expression. Methods Find. Exp. Clin. Pharmacol. 24 (2002) 253-259.

    Coma, M., Vicente, R., Tsevi, I., Grande, M., Tamkun, M.M. and Felipe A. Different Kv2.1/Kv9.3 heteromer expression during brain and lung post-natal development in the rat. J. Physiol. Biochem. 58 (2002) 195-204.

    Grande, M., Suarez, E., Vicente, R., Cantó, C., Coma, M., Tamkun, M.M., Zorzano, A., Gumà, A., and Felipe, A. K+ channel ß subunits in muscle during postnatal development and myogenesis. Biophys. J. 84 (2003) 235a

    Coma, M., Vicente, R., Busquets, S., Carbó, N., Tamkun, M.M., López-Soriano, F.J., Argilés, J.M. and Felipe A. Impaired voltage-gated K+ channel expression in brain during experimental cancer cachexia. FEBS. Lett. 536 (2003) 45-50.

    Grande, M., Suarez, E., Vicente, R., Cantó, C., Coma, M., Tamkun, M.M., Zorzano, A., Gumà, A., and Felipe, A. Voltage-dependent K+ channel b subunits in muscle: Differential regulation during postnatal development and myogenesis. J. Cell. Physiol. 195 (2003) 187-193.

    Vicente, R., Escalada, A., Coma, M., Grande, M., Fuster, G., López-Iglesias, C., Solsona, C., and Felipe , A. Voltage-gated potassium channels in macrophages. A journey from proliferation to activation. J. Physiol. 548P (2003) O20.

    Vicente, R., Escalada, A., Coma, M., Fuster, G., Sànchez-Tilló, E., López-Iglesias, C., Soler, C., Solsona, C., Celada, A. and Felipe , A.  Differential Voltage-dependent K+ channel response during proliferation and activation in macrophages.  J. Biol. Chem. 278 (2003) 46307-46320.

Tsevi, I., Vicente, R., Grande M., López-Iglesias, C., Figueras, A., Capellà, G., Condom, E. and Felipe, A. Expression of KCNQ1 and KCNE1 during testis development and germ cell differentiation. Biophys. J. 86 (2004) 126a-127a

    Vicente, R., Coma, M., Busquets, S., Moore-Carrasco, R.,  López-Soriano, F.J., Argilés, J.M. and Felipe A. the systemic inflammatory response is involved in the regulation of K+ channel expression in brain via TNF-α -dependent and -independent pathways. FEBS. Lett. 572 (2004) 189-194.

    Tsevi, I., Vicente, R., Grande M., López-Iglesias, C., Figueras, A., Capellà, G., Condom, E. and Felipe, A. KCNQ1/KCNE1 channels during germ-cell differentiation in the rat: expression associated with testis pathologies. J. Cell. Physiol. 202 (2005) 400-410.

    Vicente, R., Escalada, A., Soler, C., Grande, M., Celada, A., Tamkun, M.M., Solsona, C. and Felipe , A.  Pattern of Kvß subunit expression in macrophages depends upon proliferation and the mode of activation. J. Immunol. 174 (2005) 4736-4744.

Felipe, A., Vicente, R.,  Núria Villalonga, N., Roura-Ferrer, M., Martínez-Mármol, R., Solé, L., Ferreres, J.C. and Condom, E. Potassium channels: new targets in cancer therapy. Cancer Detect Prev. 30 (2006) 375-385. 

   Vicente, R., Escalada, A., Villalonga, N., Texido, L., Roura-Ferrer, M., Martin-Satue, M., Lopez-Iglesias, C., Soler, C., Solsona, C., Tamkun, M.M. and Felipe, A. Association of Kv1.5 and Kv1.3 contributes to the major voltage-dependent  K+ channel in macrophages.J Biol Chem. 281 (2006) 37675-37685.

Villalonga N, Escalada A, Vicente R, Sánchez-Tilló E, Celada A, Solsona C, Felipe A. Kv1.3/Kv1.5 heteromeric channels compromise pharmacological responses in macrophages. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 352 (2007):913-918.

Martínez-Mármol R, David M, Sanches R, Roura-Ferrer M, Villalonga N, Sorianello E, Webb SM, Zorzano A, Gumà A, Valenzuela C, Felipe A. Voltage-dependent Na(+) channel phenotype changes in myoblasts. Consequences for cardiac repair. Cardiovasc Res. 76 (2007):430-441.

Villalonga N, Ferreres JC, Argilés JM, Condom E, Felipe A. Potassium channels are a new target field in anticancer drug design. Recent Patents Anticancer Drug Discov. 2 (2007):212-223.

Vicente R, Villalonga N, Calvo M, Escalada A, Solsona C, Soler C, Tamkun MM, Felipe A. Kv1.5 association modifies Kv1.3 traffic and membrane localization. J Biol Chem. 283 (2008):8756-8764.

Villalonga N, Martínez-Mármol R, Roura-Ferrer M, David M, Valenzuela C, Soler C, Felipe A. Cell cycle-dependent expression of Kv1.5 is involved in myoblast proliferation. Biochim Biophys Acta – Mol Cell Res. 1783 (2008):728-736.

David M, Martínez-Mármol R, Gonzalez T, Felipe A, Valenzuela C. Differential regulation of Na(v)beta subunits during myogenesis. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 368 (2008) 761-766.

Roura-Ferrer M, Solé L, Martínez-Mármol R, Villalonga N, Felipe A. Skeletal muscle Kv7 (KCNQ) channels in myoblast differentiation and proliferation. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 369 (2008):1094-1097.


 

Collaborations:

    Due to the specific characteristics of the ionic channels, specially electric capacity, very fast ionic transport and  very active and specific drugs, it is necessary that ionic channel study must be performed by several research areas  working together to analyze the role of these proteins. Thus, the Molecular Physiology laboratory has the invaluable collaboration of several national and overseas specialists.
 
 
 

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND STRUCTURE-FUNCTION RELATIONSHIP

-          Dr. Michael M. Tamkun. Department of Physiology, Colorado State University, USA . Dr. Michael M. Tamkun. Department of Physiology, Colorado State University, USA.

-          Dr. Alexander Sorkin, Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado, USA.

-          Dra. Concepció Soler, Departamento de Patología y Terapéutica Experimental. Unidad de Inmunología, Campus de Bellvitge. Universidad de Barcelona.

 

ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY

-          Dr. Carles Solsona, Departamento de Patología y Terapéutica Experimental, Campus de Bellvitge.  Universidad de Barcelona.

-          Dra. Carmen Valenzuela, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas “Alberto Sols”. UAM/CSIC, Madrid

-          Dr. Álvaro Villarroel, Unidad de Biofísica, UPV/CSIC, Bilbao
 



last update May 2008