Luis Polo-Parada, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor PoloParadaL@missouri.edu http://poloparadal.dalton.missouri.edu/

Research Interests
My research interest is focused in two main areas: 

1) The development of the electrical activity of the different regions of the heart
The heart is the first organ to form during embryogenesis, and its function is critical for the proper development and survival of the embryo. Although some information on ion-transport genes and their protein products in normal and diseased myocardial tissue is available, little is known about the role of cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins during cardiac development or in healthy and diseased adult hearts. My interest is to elucidate the role of the ECM in the ionic-transport proteins and molecular basis of cardiac regional electrical specialization during development and in the adult heart.

2) The role of cell adhesion molecules in the development of diabetes type II.
My recent studies of Neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) null mice have indicated that NCAM plays a fundamental role in the transmitter release mechanism in neuroendocrine cells through mediation of granule recruitment. Other studies have shown that NCAM plays a functional role in the proper segregation of cell during development of islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. My interest is to elucidate whether NCAM or other cell adhesion molecules, are directly involved in the proper organization of the islets of Langerhans and in glucose-mediated insulin secretion. I also intend to investigate, whether the expression of any of these cell adhesion molecules is affected in diabetic type II patients and animal models of the disease.

Professional Background

• B. S. Physics and Mathematics, National Polytechnic Institute. Mexico.
  
• M. S. Physiology and Neurobiology. University of Connecticut.
  
• Ph. D. Neurosciences. Case Western Reserve University.
  
• Recipient of a National Scientist Development Award from the AmericanHeart Association.
• Member of the Society for Neuroscience, Biophysical Society, American Heart Association.

Selected Publications

• Polo-Parada, L., Plattner, F., Bose, C. M. and Landmesser, L. T. (2005). NCAM acting via a conserved C-terminal domain and requiring MLCK activity is essential for effective transmission with repetitive stimulation. Neuron 46;917-931.
  
• Chan, S-A., Polo-Parada, L., Landmesser, L. T. and Smith, C. (2005). Adrenal Chromaffin cells exhibit altered recruitment competence in NCAM knockout mice. J Neurophysiol 94;1037-1047.
  
• Chan, S-A., Polo-Parada, L., and Smith, C. (2005). Action potential stimulation reveals an increased role for P/Q-calcium channel dependent exocytosis in mouse adrenal tissue slices. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2005 Mar 1;435(1):65-73.
  
• Polo-Parada, L., Bose, C. M., Plattner, F., and Landmesser, L. T. (2004). Distinct roles of different NCAM isoforms in synaptic maturation revealed by analysis of mice lacking only the 180kD isoform. J Neurosci. 25;1852-64.
  
• Polo-Parada, L. Bose, C. and Landmesser L. T. (2001). Alterations in transmission, vesicle dynamics, and transmitter release machinery at NCAM deficient neuromuscular junctions. Neuron 32; 815-828.
  
• Rafuse, V. F., Polo-Parada L. and Landmesser L. T. (2000). Structural and functional alterations of neuromuscular junctions in NCAM deficient mice. J. Neurosci. 20(17):6529-6539.
  
• Gray, D.B., Polo-Parada, L., Pilar, G., Eang, P., Metzger, R. R., Klann, E. and Meriney, S. D. (1999). A nitric oxide/cGMP-dependent protein kinase pathway alters transmitter release and inhibition by somatostatin at a site downstream of calcium entry. J. Neurochem. 72(5):1981-1990.
  
• Polo-Parada L. and Pilar, G. (1999).  and  opioid reverse the somatostatin inhibiton of Ca2+ currents and dorsal root ganglion neurons. J. Neurosci. 19(13):5213-5227.
  
• Alanis, J., Arguello, C and Polo L. (1997). Effects of heparin on the electrophysiological and mechanical properties of chick embryo hearts. J. Cell and Mol Card. 29(9):2503-2511.
  
• Polo-Parada, L. and Korn, S.J. (1997). Block of N-type calcium channels in chick sensory neurons by external sodium. J. Gen. Phy. 109(6):693-702.

Methodology/Techniques
Electrophysiology, voltage-clamp, current-clamp, intracellular recordings, bright field and fluorescence microscopy, computerized video and imaging, SDSpage western blotting, molecular biology, biochemical, cell biology and immunological techniques, cell culture.