Wisconsin Discovery Portal

Researcher's Profile

Last Name

Robertson 

First Name

Gail 

Middle Initial

Areas of Research Expertise

* Molecular mechanisms of ion channel function
* Electrical signals responsible for neuronal communication and cardiac rhythmicity
* Focuses on voltage-gated potassium channels encoded by the human Ether-à-go-go-Related Gene, or hERG1

Web site

Gail Robertson's University Web Page 

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

 

Current/Active Funding

  • NIH, 2005-2010, HERG Channel Assembly and Trafficking

Issued Patent(s)

 

USPTO Published Applications

  • 20050164379 - Stable cell lines expressing HERG1a and HERG1b, July 28, 2005.

Recent Publication(s)

  • "A Drosophila behavioral mutant, down and out (dao), is defective in an essential regulator of Erg potassium channels"

Fergestad T, Sale H, Bostwick B, et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 107 (12): 5617-5621 Mar 2010.  Dao has an important role in establishing the proper level of neuronal membrane excitability by regulating functional expression of Erg channels.  PubMed/NLM.

  • "Endocytic control of ion channel density as a target for cardiovascular disease"

Robertson GA, J Clin Invest 119 (9): 2531-2534 Sep 2009. The authors identified mutations in TRPM4--a nonselective cation channel--in a large family with progressive familial heart block type I and showed that these mutations prevented channel internalization. Pubmed/NLM.

  • "hERG gating microdomains defined by S6 mutagenesis and molecular modeling"

Wynia-Smith SL, Gillian-Daniel AL, Satyshur KA, Journal of General Physiology 132 (5): 507-520 Nov 2008. We introduced cysteine mutations into the hERG channel S6 domain and measured mutational effects on the steady-state distribution and kinetics of transitions between the closed and open states.

  • "Physiological properties of hERG 1a/1b heteromeric currents and a hERG 1b-specific mutation associated with Long-QT syndrome"

Sale H, Wang J, O'Hara TJ, et al., Circ Res 103 (7): e81-95 Sep 2008. Here, we examine currents produced by hERG 1a and 1a/1b channels expressed in HEK-293 cells at near-physiological temperatures. We find that heteromeric hERG 1a/1b currents are much larger than hERG 1a currents and conduct 80% more charge during an action potential.

Recent Artistic Works

 

Collaboration

  • NYU, Department of Physiology
  • Yale University, School of Medicine
  • Vanderbilt University, Department of Pharmacology
  • University of California Santa Barbara
  • Washinton University, Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology

Research Tools

 

Research Facilities

 

E-mail Address

robertson@physiology.wisc.edu 

Phone Number

(608) 265-3339 

Current University

UW - Madison 

Department

Physiology 

Title

Associate Professor 

Other Appointments

Director, Mater of Science in Biotechnology Program

Address Line 1

601 Science Drive 

Address Line 2

 

City

Madison 

State

WI 

Zip Code

53711 

Bachelor's Degree

 

Master's Degree

 

PhD

PhD, Washington University-St. Louis, 1986

Other Degrees

 

Technologies Available for Licensing

Attachments
Created at 9/16/2007 3:20 PM  by EXTWEB\alarson 
Last modified at 4/16/2010 3:17 PM  by EXTWEB\jkolberg