Marilyn James-Kracke, Ph.D.
Before Dr. James-Kracke joined the department in August 1988, she worked in the Physiology Departments at the University of Pennsylvania, and at Washington University. She taught Physiology at Washington University and became an independent Research Assistant Professor at the State University of New York Health Science Center at Syracuse while studying muscle regeneration and red cell transport. Dr. James-Kracke previously developed procedures for monitoring ion transport using fluorescent probes incorporated into open red cell membranes that were resealed into the classic cell 'ghost' preparation. These studies
were intended to link the events that couple red cell volume and shape changes to the folding of red cells as they pass through the capillaries and exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. She has used fluorescent dyes to monitor intracellular free Ca concentrations, pH and membrane potential changes simultaneously with light scatter as a measure of red cell volume changes. Dr. James-Kracke has used a variety of fluorescent methods in collaborative experiments with members of this and other departments for projects studying signal transduction in platelets, and cultured epithelia, macrophages, neurons, placental trophoblasts and skeletal muscle. More recently her laboratory has been studying the development of skeletal muscle
and their response to growth factor receptors in the caveolae membranes. These membranes contain specialized lipids synthesized from essential fatty acids. Dr. James-Kracke is interested in the effect of these lipids on muscle regeneration and on the phenotype conversion from glycolytic fast twitch type II
muscle to beta oxidative slow nonfatiguable type I muscle. These studies are aimed at improving muscle regeneration for people with myopathies and for improving the ability of muscle to metabolize fat for weight reduction and strength improvements.
Research Interests: Ca2+, lipid regulation and changes in gene expression during cellular signal transduction in response to growth factors in muscle.
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