Faculty Profile

Isaac N. Pessah
Professor
Molecular Biosciences (Vet Med)
1204 Surge III
Office (530) 752-6696
Lab (530) 752-5632
inpessah@ucdavis.edu
[Picture of Isaac N. Pessah]
Molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating ryanodine receptors and Ca2+ signaling

Degrees:
1983 - PhD - University of Maryland - Toxicology
1981 - MS - University of Maryland - Toxicology
1977 - BS - Cornell University - Biology

Department and Center Affiliations:
Director, Center for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention

Professional Societies:
Biophysical Society
American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
Society of Toxicology
American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)
AAAS

Grad Group Affiliations and Specialties:
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology
Neuroscience
Non-DBS Grad Group(s) - Pharmacology and Toxicology

Publications:
Kenet T, Froemke RC, Schreiner CE, Pessah IN, Merzenich MM. (2007). Perinatal exposure to a noncoplanar polychlorinated biphenyl alters tonotopy, receptive fields, and plasticity in rat primary auditory cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 104(18):7646-51.

Phimister AJ, Lango J, Lee EH, Ernst-Russell MA, Takeshima H, Ma J, Allen PD, Pessah IN (2007). Conformation-dependent stability of junctophilin 1 (JP1) and ryanodine receptor type 1 (RyR1) channel complex is mediated by their hyper-reactive thiols. J Biol Chem. 282(12):8667-77.

Pessah, I. N., Hansen, L. G., Albertson, T. E., Garner, C. E., Ta, T. A., Do, Z., and Wong P. W. (2006). Structure-Activity relationship for noncoplanar polychlorinated biphenyl congeners toward the ryanodine receptor-Ca2+ channel complex type 1 (RyR1). Chem. Res. Toxicol. 19, 92-101.

Ta, T.A., Feng, W., Molinski, T.F., and Pessah, I. N. (2006). Hydroxylated xestospongins block IP3-induced Ca2+ release and sensitize Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release mediated by ryanodine receptors. Molec. Pharmacol. 69, 532-538.

Hurne, A. M., O'Brien, J. J., Wingrove, D., Beam, K. G., Allen, P. D., and Pessah I. N. (2005) Ryanodine Receptor Type 1 (RyR1) Mutations C4958S and C4961S Reveal Excitation-Coupled Calcium Entry (ECCE) is Independent of SR Store Depletion J. Biol. Chem. 280, 36994-7004.

Paolini, C., Fessenden, J. D., Pessah, I. N., and Franzini-Armstrong, C. (2004). Evidence for conformational coupling between two calcium channels. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101, 12748-52.

Cherednichenko, G., Hurne, A., , Fessenden, J. D., Lee, E. H., Allen, P. D. Beam, K. G., and Pessah, I. N. (2004). Conformational activation of calcium entry by depolarization of skeletal myotubes. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101, 15793-98.

Research Interests:
Molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating calcium signaling.

The structure, function, and pharmacology of ryanodine- and IP3-sensitive calcium channels of sarcoplasmic and endoplasmic reticulum in striated muscle, immune cells, and mammalian brain.

Role of immunophilins in Ca2+ -dependent and independent signaling cascades.

Mechanisms by which xenobiotics alter cellular calcium signaling and calcium-dependent processes. Regulation of cell growth and differentiation

Laboratory Personnel:
Pessah Lab 1278,1279,1282 Surge III - Wei Feng, Gennady Cherednychenko, Samuel Goth, Tram-Anh Ta, Kyung Ho Kim, Joyce Riehl, Robert Cattolica, Amandna Garels, Linda Zhang Rebecca Morrison (CCEH Administrator)
http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/cceh/default.html

Teaching Interests:


Principles of Pharmacodynamics and Toxicodynamics (PTX202) - Receptor occupancy theory. Structure, function, and pharmacology of ion channels and Receptors coupled to GTP-binding proteins. Principles of Pharmacology (VMD414A) - Pharmacodynamics Physiological Chemistry (VMD403) - Principles of cell signaling