Tim Walseth Ph.D.

Current Position:  Associate Professor of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota.

Curriculum Vitae (pdf)

Research Interests and areas of potential collaboration:
Dr. Walseth and colleagues are studying the role of cyclic ADP-ribose in several systems. Cyclic ADP-ribose, a  recently discovered metabolite of NAD+, is a potent mediator of intracellular calcium release. The regulation of intracellular concentration of calcium ions is a critical process in all cells. Many hormones and neurotransmitters regulate the intracellular calcium concentrations by a variety of mechanisms, including calcium-induced calcium release, inositol phosphate-induced calcium release, and calcium influx through plasma membrane calcium channels. Pharmacological evidence has implicated cyclic ADP-ribose in the regulation of the calcium-induced calcium release mechanism. One of the goals of the laboratory is to further define the role of CADPR in calcium homeostasis.

Current research:
Current research efforts are involved in characterizing CADPR metabolism and function in several systems. These efforts are focused on:

1) synthesis and characterization of antagonists of cyclic ADPribose function;

2) purification and characterization of cyclic ADP-ribose binding proteins;

3) purification of ADP-ribosyl cyclase, the enzyme responsible for the synthesis of cyclic ADP ribose; and

4) examination of agents that regulate the intracellular levels of cyclic ADP-ribose.

The laboratory is also investigating transmembrane signaling events involving guanine nucleotide binding proteins. Specifically, the role of pertussis toxin-sensitive guanine nucleotide binding proteins in glucose-induced insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells is being studied.

http://www.pharmacology.med.umn.edu/