Advances in Biosciences Seminar: Professor David Eisner, University of Manhester - Title: "Ups and downs of calcium in the heart"
| Dates: | 30 January 2024 |
|---|
| Times: | 13:00 - 14:00 |
|---|
| What is it: | Seminar |
|---|
| Organiser: | Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health |
|---|
| Who is it for: | University staff |
|---|
| Speaker: | Professor David Eisner |
|---|
|
|
Abstract:
I will begin the presentation by reviewing how calcium is used to regulate cell function. Since calcium cannot be destroyed, regulation of its concentration requires pumping across membranes. Importantly, on each heartbeat, the amount of calcium that enters the cell must exactly equal that which leaves. The lecture will discuss the consequences that this has for cardiac function.
99% of the calcium in the cytoplasm is bound to buffers. It is often not appreciated that the magnitude of the change of free calcium concentration depends as much on the properties of the calcium buffers as on the underlying fluxes.
Most of the Ca that activates contraction is derived from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and is released by the process of Ca induced Ca release (CICR) through the Ryanodine Receptor (RyR). On this mechanism, Ca enters the cell via the L-type Ca current and binds to the RyR making it open thereby resulting in the release of a much larger amount of Ca from the SR. The amount of Ca released depends on many factors including the properties of the RyR and the Ca content of the SR. I will discuss both the control of SR Ca content and the relationship between SR Ca content and the amplitude of the Ca transient.
It is also important that during diastole, Ca is lowered to levels sufficiently low that the heart can relax and refill with blood. The mechanisms that control diastolic Ca are, however, much less well understood. I will present data suggesting that diastolic Ca is indirectly controlled by the level of systolic Ca.
Bio:
David Eisner has been at The University of Manchester since 1999. He is currently the Academic Lead for Impact in the School of Biological Sciences. His undergraduate degree was obtained at the University of Cambridge, and he did graduate work at Oxford with Denis Noble. He worked at University College London (1980-90) and the University of Liverpool (1990-1999) before moving to Manchester.
His research focuses on the basic mechanisms regulating intracellular calcium in the heart and the consequences for normal and diseased cardiac function.
He has given various named lectures including the Annual Review Lecture of The Physiological Society and The Carmeliet-Coraboeuf-Weidmann Lecture of the Cardiac Cellular Electrophysiology Working Group of the European Society of Cardiology. He holds honorary degrees from the Universities of Debrecen and Szeged, an Honorary Fellowship of The Royal College of Physicians, and Fellowship of The Academy of Medical Sciences. He is currently Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of General Physiology and has served as President of both The Physiological Society and the European Section of the International Society for Heart Research.
Speaker
Professor David Eisner
Role: Academic Lead for Impact SBS
Organisation: University of Manchester
Travel and Contact Information
Find event
Michael Smith Lecture Theatre
Michael Smith Building
Manchester
