Faculty Guide

Title

Assistant Research Professor of Biochemistry

Biochemistry

Expertise

Ion channel biophysics
Electrophysiology, live cell TIRF microscopy
Neurophysiology
Sodium channels, potassium channels and their regulation
SUMO and ubiquitin modification pathways

Profile

Using electrophysiology, microscopy and spectroscopy I study the regulation of ion channels and how they control neuronal activity in health and disease.

Awards and Honors

Guest Editor, Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience (2013)

Cranefield Award for physiology (2012)

Best Science Research; University of Chicago -Pediatrics (2011)

CTSA Grant 'SUMO regulation in cerebral ischemia' (2010)

IUPHAR committee on K2P ion channels (2005)

Medical Research Council Scholar (1999)

Wellcome Trust Research Scholar (1998)

Courses Taught

NBIO

146a

The Neurobiology of Human Disease

Scholarship

LD Plant, L Zuniga, D Araki, JD Marks, SA Goldstein. "SUMOylation Silences Heterodimeric TASK Potassium Channels Containing K2P1 Subunits in Cerebellar Granule Neurons." Science Signalling 5. 251 (2012): doi: 10.1126/scisignal.2003431.

MG Distler, LD Plant, G Sokoloff, AJ Hawk, I Aneas, S Meredith, M Nobrega, AA Palmer. "Glyoxalase 1 increases anxiety by reducing GABAA receptor agonist methylglyoxal." Journal of Clinical Investigation 22. 6 (2012): 2306-15.

Plant, Leigh. "A role for K2P channels in the operation of somatosensory nociceptors." Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience 5. 21 (2012): 1-5.

Plant, L. D. Dowdell, E. J. Dementieva, I. S. Marks, J. D. Goldstein, S. A.. "SUMO modification of cell surface Kv2.1 potassium channels regulates the activity of rat hippocampal neurons." J Gen Physiol 137. 5 (2011): 441-54.

Plant, L. D. Dementieva, I. S. Kollewe, A. Olikara, S. Marks, J. D. Goldstein, S. A.. "One SUMO is sufficient to silence the dimeric potassium channel K2P1." Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 107. 23 (2010): 10743-8.

Thomas, D. Plant, L. D. Wilkens, C. M. McCrossan, Z. A. Goldstein, S. A.. "Alternative translation initiation in rat brain yields K2P2.1 potassium channels permeable to sodium." Neuron 58. 6 (2008): 859-70.

Plant, L. D. Bowers, P. N. Liu, Q. Morgan, T. Zhang, T. State, M. W. Chen, W. Kittles, R. A. Goldstein, S. A.. "A common cardiac sodium channel variant associated with sudden infant death in African Americans, SCN5A S1103Y." J Clin Invest 116. 2 (2006): 430-5.

Plant, L. D. Webster, N. J. Boyle, J. P. Ramsden, M. Freir, D. B. Peers, C. Pearson, H. A.. "Amyloid beta peptide as a physiological modulator of neuronal 'A'-type K+ current." Neurobiol Aging 27. 11 (2006): 1673-83.

Goldstein, S. A. Bayliss, D. A. Kim, D. Lesage, F. Plant, L. D.. "International Union of Pharmacology. LV. Nomenclature and molecular relationships of two-P potassium channels." Pharmacol Rev 57. 4 (2005): 527-40.

McGarry, H. F. Plant, L. D. Taylor, M. J.. "Diethylcarbamazine activity against Brugia malayi microfilariae is dependent on inducible nitric-oxide synthase and the cyclooxygenase pathway." Filaria J 4. (2005): 4.

Plant, L. D. Rajan, S. Goldstein, S. A.. "K2P channels and their protein partners." Curr Opin Neurobiol 15. 3 (2005): 326-33.

Rajan, S. Plant, L. D. Rabin, M. L. Butler, M. H. Goldstein, S. A.. "Sumoylation silences the plasma membrane leak K+ channel K2P1." Cell 121. 1 (2005): 37-47.

Plant, L. D. Boyle, J. P. Smith, I. F. Peers, C. Pearson, H. A.. "The production of amyloid beta peptide is a critical requirement for the viability of central neurons." J Neurosci 23. 13 (2003): 5531-5.

Smith, I. F. Plant, L. D. Boyle, J. P. Skinner, R. A. Pearson, H. A. Peers, C.. "Chronic hypoxia potentiates capacitative Ca2+ entry in type-I cortical astrocytes." J Neurochem 85. 5 (2003): 1109-16.

Plant, L. D. Boyle, J. P. Thomas, N. M. Hipkins, N. J. Benedikz, E. Hooper, N. M. Henderson, Z. Vaughan, P. F. Peers, C. Cowburn, R. F. Pearson, H. A.. "Presenilin-1 mutations alter K+ currents in the human neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y." Neuroreport 13. 12 (2002): 1553-6.

Plant, L. D. Kemp, P. J. Peers, C. Henderson, Z. Pearson, H. A.. "Hypoxic depolarization of cerebellar granule neurons by specific inhibition of TASK-1." Stroke 33. 9 (2002): 2324-8.

Smith, I. F. Boyle, J. P. Plant, L. D. Pearson, H. A. Peers, C.. "Hypoxic remodeling of Ca2+ stores in type I cortical astrocytes." J Biol Chem 278. 7 (2002): 4875-81.

Ramsden, M. Plant, L. D. Webster, N. J. Vaughan, P. F. Henderson, Z. Pearson, H. A.. "Differential effects of unaggregated and aggregated amyloid beta protein (1-40) on K(+) channel currents in primary cultures of rat cerebellar granule and cortical neurones." J Neurochem 79. 3 (2001): 699-712.