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Exciting news:

As part of SPP-ARC (Striving for Pandemic Preparedness, an Alberta Research Consortium), we are establishing a state-of-the-art cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) facility. We are acquiring a Titan Krios G4 and a Talos L120C. Opening in the Fall 2024!

 

Research:

Inside heart cells, changes in calcium metabolism control the rate and force of muscle contraction and relaxation. With each heartbeat, calcium is released from a storage compartment (the 'sarcoplasmic reticulum') for muscle contraction and pumped back into the storage compartment for muscle relaxation. Defects in this process are known to be associated with heart failure, and hereditary forms of heart disease may be more common than originally thought. Recently, families suffering from inherited heart disease have been found to have defects at a particular step in calcium metabolism (in proteins called 'phospholamban' and 'sarcolipin'). These defects interfere with the ability of the heart to respond to changes in calcium metabolism, yet we do not fully understand the reason the genetic defects cause heart failure. Furthermore, a new activator of calcium metabolism, DWORF (dwarf open reading frame) has recently been discovered. The premise of our research is that the development of treatments for heart disease requires detailed knowledge of the underlying regulatory and disease-associated mechanisms. Given the link between phospholamban, sarcolipin, DWORF and heart failure, a detailed understanding will lead to clinical improvement in patients suffering from heart disease. Our research focuses on detecting new mutations in heart failure patients, understanding the associated molecular defects, and restoring normal calcium metabolism. We focus on phospholamban, sarcolipin, DWORF and the calcium pump, and how they work together to trigger muscle relaxation. We use a combination of biochemical and structure biology approaches including X-ray crystallography and cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM). The goal is to develop a detailed molecular understanding of how mutations lead to heart disease. If we can fully understand these details, we may be able to better diagnose and treat patients presenting with heart disease.

Tenure:

I have been a member of the Biochemistry department for 22 years.

 

Selected Publications:

Armanious, G.P., Lemieux, M.J., Espinoza-Fonseca, L.M., Young HS.
Molecular Cell Research (2024) (online ahead of print).

Rathod, N., Guerrero-Serna, G., Young, H.S., Espinoza-Fonseca, L.M.   
Molecular Cell Research (2024)1871:11963

 
Liu, A.Y., Rathod, N., Guerrero-Serna, G., Young, H.S., Espinoza-Fonseca, L.M.   
Biochemistry (2023) 62:1331-36

Bak, J.J., Aguayo-Ortiz, R., Rathod, N., Primeau, J.O., Khan, M.B., Robia, S.L., Lemieux, M.J., Espinoza-Fonseca, L.M., Young, H.S
Biochemistry (2022) 61:1419-30

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Rathod, N., Bak, J.J., Primeau, J.O., Fisher, M.E., Espinoza-Fonseca, L.M., Lemieux, M.J., Young, H.S.   
International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2021) 22:8891.

Sordi, G., Goti, A., Young, H.S., Palchetti, I., Tadini-Buoninsegni, F.  
Chem Med Chem (2021) (epub)

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Fisher, M.E., Bovo, E., Aguayo-Ortiz, R. Cho, E.E., Pribadi, M.P., Dalton, M.P., Rathod, N., Lemieux, M.J., Espinoza-Fonseca, L.M., Robia, S.L., Zima, A.V., Young, H.S.  
eLife (2021) (doi: 10.7554/eLife.65545).

 
Hernando, M.D., Primeua, J.O., Young, H.S.  
Methods in Molecular Biology (2021) 2302:179-199.

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Glaves, J.P., Primeau, J.O., Espinoza-Fonseca, L.M., Lemieux, M.J., Young, H.S.
Biophysical Journal (2020) 118:518-31.

Glaves, J.P.*, Primeau, J.O.*, Espinoza-Fonseca, L.M., Lemieux, M.J., Young HS.
Biophysical Journal (2019) 116:633-47.

 

Life outside the lab