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College of Medicine: Department of Physiology and Cell Biology

Jennings Lab

Michael L. Jennings, Professor

Research Focus

My long term general interest is in membrane biology, with focus on the structure, function, and regulation of ion transporters.  Emphasis has been on coupled exchangers in the SLC4 family and coupled cotransporters in the SLC12 family.  Experimental systems include red blood cells, cultured mammalian cells, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Five Representative Papers

Schuster VL, Bonsib SM, Jennings ML 1986. Two types of collecting duct mitochondria‑rich (intercalated) cells:  lectin and band 3 cytochemistry. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 251:C347‑C355.

Jennings ML, Schulz RK 1991. Okadaic acid inhibition of KCl cotransport. Evidence that protein dephosphorylation is necessary for activation of transport by either swelling or N-ethylmaleimide. J Gen Physiol 96: 991-1012.

Okubo K, Kang D, Hamasaki N, Jennings ML 1994. Red blood cell band 3:  Lysine-539 and lysine 851 react with the same 4,4′-diisothiocyanodihydrostilbene-2-2′-disulfonate molecule. J Biol Chem 269: 1918-1926.

Jennings ML, Howren TR, Cui J, Winters M, Hannigan R 2007.  Transport and regulatory characteristics of the yeast bicarbonate transporter homolog Bor1p.  Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 293: C468-C476.

Jennings ML 2013.  Transport of hydrogen sulfide and hydrosulfide anion across the human red blood cell membrane.  Rapid H2S diffusion and AE1-mediated Cl–/HS– exchange.  Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 305: C941-C950.

Projects

  • Modeling anion transport in red blood cells: are there meaningful functional consequences of carbonic anhydrase binding to AE1?
  • Proteomic approaches to determining how red blood cells sense cell volume: how does cell swelling result in changes in phosphorylation of transporters?
  • Sulfate transport and regulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae; how can yeast assimilate hydrogen sulfide so efficiently when it is rapidly permeant in most cells?
  • Phosphate regulation in bone: Is there a phosphate sensor?

Grant Funding

Was NIH R01 PI for nearly 30 years; no current grant support.

Major Professor for the following Ph.D. Students:

1986    Gerald A. Donovan (U. of Iowa, M.D./Ph.D.)

1989     Nayef Al-Rohil Gharaibeh (U. of Iowa)

1990     Lynda S. Ostedgaard (U. of Iowa)

1997     Anil Namboodiripad (UTMB)

2000    Todd Howren (UAMS)

2009    Jian Cui (UAMS; deceased 2008; honorary posthumous degree)

Lab Personnel

Currently no technicians, students, or postdocs