Core - Thermodynamics and Spectroscopy Core Facility

Biltonen, Rodney L.

Abstract

The Thermodynamics and Spectroscopy Core Facility will provide specific primary data on anesthetic properties, experimental information related to the thermotropic behavior of specific lipid systems and serve as a general resource for members of the program project. The core director, Dr. R. Biltonen, will be responsible for overseeing the operation of this facility. If any problems, such as scheduling difficulties, arise they will be brought to the attention of the executive committee. An experienced research associate, Mr. Kim Thompson, will be responsible for the daily operation and maintenance of the core facility, performing some experimental work (e.g. determination of anesthetic lipid partition coefficients) and training of graduate students and post-doctoral associates in the use of the available equipment. Existing instrumentation includes three differential scanning calorimeters and two SLM fluoremeters. Funding is requested for a high pressure cell adaptable for SLM fluoremeters, a Varian Gas Chromatograph, a laser light source for an existing SLM fluoremeter and instrumentation for construction of a phosphorescence anisotropy instrument.

Funding Agency

• Agency: National Institute of Health (NIH)
• Institute: National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
• Type: Research Program Projects (P01)
• Project #: 5P01GM047525-03
• Application #: 3756505
• Support Year: 3
• Fiscal Year: 1994

Institution

• Name: University of Virginia
• DUNS #: 001910777
• City: Charlottesville
• State: VA
• Country: United States
• Zip Code: 22904

Publications

Shen, Y M; Chertihin, O I; Biltonen, R L et al. (1999) Lipid-dependent activation of protein kinase C-alpha by normal alcohols. J Biol Chem 274:34036-44

Cafiso, D S (1998) Dipole potentials and spontaneous curvature: membrane properties that could mediate anesthesia. Toxicol Lett 100-101:431-9

Hodges, M W; Cafiso, D S; Polnaszek, C F et al. (1997) Water translational motion at the bilayer interface: an NMR relaxation dispersion measurement. Biophys J 73:2575-9

North, C; Cafiso, D S (1997) Contrasting membrane localization and behavior of halogenated cyclobutanes that follow or violate the Meyer-Overton hypothesis of general anesthetic potency. Biophys J 72:1754-61

Qin, Z; Wertz, S L; Jacob, J et al. (1996) Defining protein-protein interactions using site-directed spin-labeling: the binding of protein kinase C substrates to calmodulin. Biochemistry 35:13272-6

Olins, A L; Olins, D E; Bazett-Jones, D P (1996) Osmium ammine-B and electron spectroscopic imaging of ribonucleoproteins: correlation of stain and phosphorus. Biol Cell 87:143-7

Dibble, A R; Hinderliter, A K; Sando, J J et al. (1996) Lipid lateral heterogeneity in phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylserine/diacylglycerol vesicles and its influence on protein kinase C activation. Biophys J 71:1877-90

Qin, Z; Cafiso, D S (1996) Membrane structure of protein kinase C and calmodulin binding domain of myristoylated alanine rich C kinase substrate determined by site-directed spin labeling. Biochemistry 35:2917-25

Magyar, J; Szabo, G (1996) Effects of volatile anesthetics on the G protein-regulated muscarinic potassium channel. Mol Pharmacol 50:1520-8

Baber, J; Ellena, J F; Cafiso, D S (1995) Distribution of general anesthetics in phospholipid bilayers determined using 2H NMR and 1H-1H NOE spectroscopy. Biochemistry 34:6533-9