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Michael E. Adams
Professor of Entomology and Neuroscience
Ph.D. 1978, University of California, Riverside
DAAD Postdoctoral Fellow 1979
NATO Postdoctoral Fellow 1980
Peptides and behavior
Molecular and cellular physiology of chemical signaling
Pharmacology of ion channels
Email: michael.adams@ucr.edu
Office: 3107 Biological Sciences Building, (951) 827-4746
Lab: 3206 Biological Sciences Building (951) 827 4369
My research is concerned with the biological chemistry
and molecular physiology of signaling in the nervous system. Our approach
is to examine mechanisms by which paralytic venoms disrupt synaptic transmission.
Spider and scorpion venoms are cocktails of toxins which immobilize prey
through specific actions on ion channels in nerve membranes. The ability
of many toxins to discriminate between different ion channel subtypes makes
them valuable as pharmacological probes for functional analysis. Current
research efforts include the isolation and identification of novel toxins
and analysis of their structure-activity relationships by site-directed
mutagenesis and patch clamp electrophysiology.
Applications of specific toxin-receptor interactions
are being found in both medicine and agriculture. Certain highly selective
toxins can have therapeutic actions with minimal side effects. Specific
ion channel modification by chemical agents such as toxins or drug mimics
is emerging as a strategy for treatment of stroke, convulsive syndromes
and chronic pain. Likewise, ion channel-specific toxins are finding applications
in agricultural pest control strategies. Many toxins are shown to specifically
target insect ion channels. Genes for these toxins, when genetically engineered
into insect-specific pathogens, constitute novel biological insecticides.
A second major research focus is on neuropeptides
that regulate developmental and behavioral processes. The recent discoveries
of the epitracheal endocrine system in insects and its secretory product,
the ecdysis-triggering hormone (ETH), have revealed new insights into the
endocrinology of ecdysis, the crucial stage through which insects must
pass repeatedly during development from embryo to adult. ETH triggers a
series of complex centrally patterned motor behaviors leading to ecdysis
and thus provides an excellent model system for examining the relationships
between gene expression, development, and animal behavior.
Representative Publications:
- Kim, Y.-J., Zitnan, D., Galizia, C.G., Cho, K.-H., and Adams, M. E. 2006. A
Command Chemical Triggers an Innate Behavior by Sequential Activation of
Multiple Peptidergic Ensembles. Current Biol. 16: 1395-1407.
- Moore, E.L., Haspel, G. Libersat, F. and Adams, M.E. 2006. Parasitoid Wasp
Sting: A Cocktail of GABA, Taurine and beta-alanine opens chloride channels for
central synaptic block and transient paralysis of a cockroach host. J. Neurobiol.
66: 811-820.
- Park, Y. and Adams, M.E. 2005. Insect G Protein-coupled receptors: Recent
discoveries and Implications. In: Comprehensive Insect Biochemistry, Physiology,
Pharmacology and Molecular Biology, (L. I. Gilbert, K. Iatrou, and S.S. Gill,
Eds.), Elsevier Press, London, Vol. 5, pp. 143-171.
- Zitnan, D. and Adams, M.E. 2005. Neuroendocrine Regulation of Insect Ecdysis.
In: Comprehensive Insect Biochemistry, Physiology, Pharmacology, and Molecular
Biology, (L.I. Gilbert, K. Iatrou and S.S. Gill, Eds.), Elsevier Press, London,
Vol. 3, pp. 1-60.
- Adams, M.E. 2004. Agatoxins. Toxicon 43: 509-525.
- Kim, Y., Spalovska-Valachova, I., Cho, K., Zitnanova, I., Park, Y., Adams,
M.E. and Zitnan, D. 2004. Corazonin Receptor Signaling in Ecdysis Initiation.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101: 6704-6709.
- Park, Y., Y. J. Kim, V. Dupriez, and M.E. Adams. 2003. Two Subtypes of
Ecdysis-triggering Hormone Receptor in Drosophila melanogaster. Biol. Chem.
278: 17710-5.
- Zitnan, D., I. Zitnanova, I. Spalovska, P. Takac, Y. Park and M.E. Adams.
2003. Conservation of ecdysis-triggering hormone signalling in insects. J.
Exp. Biol. 206: 1275-89.
- Zitnan, D., L. Hollar, I. Spalovska, P. Takac, I. Zitnanova, S.S. Gill and
M.E. Adams. 2002. Molecular cloning and function of ecdysis-triggering hormones
in the silkworm Bombyx mori. J. Exp. Biol. 205: 3459-3473.
- Park, Y., Y.J. Kim and M.E. Adams. 2002. identification of G protein-coupled
receptors for Drosophila PRXamide peptides, CCAP, corazonin, and AKH supports a
theory of ligand-receptor coevolution. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U S A 12: 12.
- Park, Y., V. Filippov, S.S. Gill and M.E. Adams. 2002. Deletion of the
ecdysis-triggering hormone gene leads to lethal ecdysis deficiency. Development
129: 493-503.
- Zitnanova, I., M.E. Adams, and D. Zitnan. 2001. Dual ecdysteroid action on
epitracheal glands and the central nervous system preceding ecdysis of Manduca
sexta. J. Exp. Biol. 204: 3483-3495.
- Kingan, T. G., R. A. Cardullo, and M. E. Adams. 2001. Signal
transduction in eclosion hormone-induced secretion of ecdysis-triggering
hormone. J. Biol. Chem. 276: 25135-24142.
- Zhao, Y., Y. Park, and M. E. Adams. 2000. Functional and
evolutionary consequences of pyrethroid resistance mutations in S6 transmembrane
segments of a voltage-gated sodium channel. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm.278:
516-521.
- Zitnan, D. and M. E. Adams. 2000. Excitatory and inhibitory
roles of central ganglia in initiation of the ecdysis behavioral sequence.
J. Exp. Biol. 203: 1329-1340.
- Lee, D., M. Gurevitz and M. E. Adams. 2000. Modification
of synaptic transmission and sodium channel inactivation by the insect-selective
scorpion toxin LqhalphaIT. J. Neurophysiol. 83(3): 1181-7.
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