Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics
 | Luis ReussProfessor and Chair of Physiology
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Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
3601 4th Street, STOP 6551
Lubbock, Texas 79430
Phone: (806) 743-2627
FAX: (806) 743-1512
Email: Luis.Reuss@ttuhsc.edu
Research Interests
Research in my laboratory involves two areas:- Structural biology of membrane proteins involved in ion transport: our current focus is on connexin 43 (Cx43), which forms gap-junction channels in heart, brain and kidney, as well as in vascular endothelial cells. Gap junctions are formed by the docking of hemichannels (connexin hexamers) from neighboring cells and permit intercellular fluxes of ions and other solutes, up to ca. 1,000 Da. They are essential in the development and function of numerous organs, including those listed above. We have expressed Cx43 in frog oocytes, to study its function, and have also overexpressed it in insect cells, purified and reconstituted it in liposomes to study its structure and function. These studies are performed in collaboration with Dr. Guillermo Altenberg.
- Role of ion channels in cell injury: our main focus is the pathophysiologic function of gap junction hemichannels, which can be activated by cell depolarization, ATP depletion or nitrosylation and may be conducive to cell death by apoptosis or necrosis. These studies are performed in collaboration with Dr. Elsa Bello-Reuss (Department of Internal Medicine) and Dr. Juan-Carlos Saez, from the Catholic University, Santiago, Chile.