UCLA Neuroscience Program Ph.D. Admissions Neuroscience Faculty UCLA and Beyond  



Alan Grinnell
Synaptic Function

Email Address:  adg@ucla.edu

Work Address:
Dept. of Physiology,
CHS
Phone Numbers:
(310) 825-7870 Laboratory
310-825-4468 Office

Selected Publications:

Grinnell, A.D. Echolocation I: Behavior. New Encyclopedia of Neuroscience, ed. L. R. Squire, in press, 2007; .
Grinnell, A.D. How Muscle Stretch In fluences Neuromuscular Transmission, ed. L. R. Squire, in press. New Encyclopedia of Neuroscience 2007; .
Sun, X-P, Yazejian, B. and Grinnell, A.D. Electrophysiological properties of BK channels in Xenopus motor nerve terminals. J. Physiol. 2004; 557: 207-228.
Grinnell, A.D., Chen, B.-M., Kashani, A., Lin, J., Suzuki, K., and Kidokoro, Y. The role of integrins in the modulation of neurotransmitter release from motor nerve terminals by stretch and hypertonicity.. J. Neurocytol. 2003; 32: 489-503.
Kashani, A., Chen, B.-M., and Grinnell Osmotic modulation of transmitter release from frog motor nerve terminals: Ca++-independence and role of integrins.. J. Physiol. 2001; 530: 243-252.
Yazejian, B, Sun, X.-P, and Grinnell, A.D. Tracking presynaptic Ca++ dynamics during neurotransmitter release with Ca-activated K+ channels.. Nature Neuroscience 2000; 3: 566-571.
Kalko, E.K.V., Schnitzler, H.-U., Kaipf, I & Grinnell, A.D. Hunting and echolocation behavior in Noctilio albiventris: the evolution of piscivory.. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 1998; 45: 305-319.
Chen, B.M and Grinnell, A.D. Kinetics, Ca++ dependence, and biophysical properties of integrin-mediated mechanical modulation of transmitter release from frog motor nerve terminals.. J. Neuroscience 1997; 17: 904-916.
Chen, B.M. and Grinnell, A.D. Integrins help mediate the stretch-induced modulation of transmitter release from frog motor nerve terminals.. Science 1995; 269: 1578-1580.
Sun, XP Yazejian, B Grinnell, AD Electrophysiological properties of BK channels in Xenopus motor nerve terminals.. The Journal of physiology. . 2004; 557(Pt 1): 207-28.
Suzuki, K Grinnell, AD Kidokoro, Y Hypertonicity-induced transmitter release at Drosophila neuromuscular junctions is partly mediated by integrins and cAMP/protein kinase A.. The Journal of physiology. . 2002; 538(Pt 1): 103-19.
Sand, O Chen, BM Grinnell, AD Contribution of L-type Ca(2+) channels to evoked transmitter release in cultured Xenopus nerve-muscle synapses.. The Journal of physiology. . 2001; 536(Pt 1): 21-33.
Yazejian, B DiGregorio, DA Vergara, JL Poage, RE Meriney, SD Grinnell, AD Direct measurements of presynaptic calcium and calcium-activated potassium currents regulating neurotransmitter release at cultured Xenopus nerve-muscle synapses.. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. . 1997; 17(9): 2990-3001.
Harada, Y Grinnell, AD Regeneration of specific innervation in Xenopus pectoralis muscle.. Journal of neurobiology. . 1996; 31(4): 433-48.
Grinnell, AD Harada, Y Specificity and development of innervation pattern of Xenopus pectoralis muscle.. Journal of neurobiology. . 1996; 31(4): 415-32.
Grinnell, AD Dynamics of nerve-muscle interaction in developing and mature neuromuscular junctions.. Physiological reviews. . 1995; 75(4): 789-834.
Research Interest:

Specific Preparations and On-going Projects: a. Using Xenopus nerve-muscle cell cultures, we are studying the properties of synapses. Patch electrode recordings can be made simultaneously from presynaptic varicosities and postsynaptic muscle cells, while reagents can be introduced intracellularly through another electrode on the neuronal cell body. This allows correlation of ionic currents with transmitter release and modulation of release, and analysis of molecular mechanisms of release. Current interest centers on characterizing the calcium domains that occur at synaptic active zones when depolarization opens calcium channels, triggering release. b. Using mature frog neuromuscular preparations, we are studying the mechanisms of regulation of transmitter release efficacy by muscle stretch and hyperosmolarity. Both involve presynaptic integrins, tension on which increases either intraterminal calcium or sensitivity to calcium. c. Another project is aimed at understanding the destabilization of ACh receptors in denervated endplates as a nerve reinnervates part of the junction. In addition, I have a long-standing interest in the echolocation capabilities of bats and neural correlates of echolocation.