National Institutes of Health

Oxford University

Fig. 2. Effect of cell orientation on geometry of microstreams.

Figure 11. Models of intrinsic H+i mobility

Physiology Department

The Wellcome Trust

British Heart Foundation

 

PROTON TRANSPORT GROUP
Intracellular pH regulation in heart

 

Group Leader Prof.
Richard Vaughan-Jones

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RESEARCH  INTERESTS

Regulation of Intracellular pH in heart

Local junctional control of pHi  

Regional acid loads in the myocardium will be dissipated partly by acid extrusion via the sarcolemmal transporters. They will also be dissipated by acid flux into neighbouring myocytes through gap junctions. We are investigating the properties of intercellular acid movement. This is important for our understanding of acid spread within the heart, for example from ischaemic to non-ischaemic zones. Intercellular H+ ion movement depends on the gating of connexin channels by agents such as Ca2+iand pHi. It also depends on the permeability of junctional channels to intracellular mobile buffers (proton-porters), as these mediate almost all of the intercellular acid flux.

Fig 3. Spatiotemporal behavior of [H+]i during local acid loading.

 

To read more about our research please click on the titles below:

 

Importance of pHi

Techniques

 The ion transporters involved

Local intracellular control of pHi

 

Local junctional control of pHi

Molecular basis of pH sensing by acid/base transporters

Influence of pHi on Ca2+i