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Keywords:

Binding Sites; Cardiovascular Diseases; Chemical and Pharmacologic Phenomena; Epilepsy; Genetic Techniques; Molecular Biology; Molecular Structure; Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; Neuralgia; Neuropharmacology; Pharmacology; Receptors, Adrenergic; Receptors, Biogenic Amine; Receptors, Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; Receptors, Neuropeptide; Receptors, Neurotransmitter; Receptors, Sensory; Structure-Activity Relationship; Vasospasm, Intracranial

Education/Training:

• Research Associate, Molecular Cardiology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Molecular Cardiology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation
• Ph.D., Pharmacology, Creighton University School of Medicine
• B.S., Chemistry/Biology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Research Interests:

Research interests in this laboratory focus on understanding the molecular mechanisms of drug action and verification of potential therapeutic targets. These types of investigations use classic pharmacological methods combined with modern cell and molecular biological techniques to characterize properties of receptors using various mammalian cell and tissue models of human diseases. Information from these studies is used to develop molecular models that can identify chemical agents useful for the treatment of chronic pain, epilepsy, stroke and neurodegeneration. Current areas of basic science investigation include: characterization of molecular mechanisms for activating G protein-coupled receptor systems; pharmacological classification of adrenergic receptors mediating the inhibition of GABAergic interneurons; and identification of signal transduction pathways causing the release of inflammatory factors initiated by sympathetic and peptidergic receptor activation.

Current Grant Support:

• Training Underrepresented Basic Science Researchers Utilizing Structure-Function Investigations of Neuropeptide Receptors, National Science Foundation, Division of Integrative Biology & Neuroscience, 0235146, 05/03-04/06, James Porter, PI.
• Molecular Mechanisms Critical to CGRP Receptor Signaling, National Institutes of Health, Academic Research Enhancement Grant, 1 R15 GM066726-01, 07/03-06/05, James Porter, PI.
• Inflammatory Signaling Mechanisms of the CGRP Receptor, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 1 R21 DK062865-01, 09/03-08/05, James Porter, PI.
• Pathophysiology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, National Institutes of Health, National Center for Research Resources, 1 P20 RR17699-01; Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE), 09/02-08/07, Jody A. Rada, PI; Project Two, Characterization of the Neuroinflammatory CGRP Receptor, James Porter, Project Investigator; Project Five, Adrenergic Modulation of Seizures and Neurodegeneration; Pat Carr and Van Doze, Project Investigators; James Porter, Collaborator.
• CGRP Receptor Activated Inflammatory Signaling Mechanisms, UND Faculty Research Seed Money Awards Program, 07/02-06/04, James Porter, PI.
• Alpha Adrenergic Modulation of Epileptic Seizures In Vivo, University of North Dakota Faculty Research Seed Money Award Program, 1811-0409, 07/03-12/04, Van Doze and Sally Pyle, Co-PI, James Porter, Scientific Advisor.
• Dopaminergic Transmission Systems and Their Roles in Drug Addiction, Counter Drug Technology Assessment Center, ONDCP, DATM05-02-R-ONDCP 09/02-08/04, M. Ebadi, PI, James Porter, Board of Scientific Directors.

Selected Publications:

• Jurgens CW, Boese SJ, King JD, Pyle SJ, Porter JE, Doze VA. Adrenergic receptor modulation of hippocampal CA3 network activity. Epilepsy Res. 2005 Aug-Sep;66(1-3):117-28.
• Harmon EB, Porter JM, Porter JE. Beta-adrenergic receptor activation in immortalized human urothelial cells stimulates inflammatory responses by PKA-independent mechanisms. Cell Commun Signal. 2005 Aug 9;3:10.
• Hillman KL, Knudson CA, Carr PA, Doze VA, Porter JE. Related Articles, Links
  Adrenergic receptor characterization of CA1 hippocampal neurons using real time single cell RT-PCR.Brain Res Mol Brain Res. 2005 Oct 3;139(2):267-76.
• Hillman KL, Doze VA, Porter JE. Functional characterization of the beta-adrenergic receptor subtypes expressed by CA1 pyramidal cells in the rat hippocampus.
  J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2005 Aug;314(2):561-7.
• Jurgens CW, Rau KE, Knudson CA, King JD, Carr PA, Porter JE, Doze VA. Beta1 adrenergic receptor-mediated enhancement of hippocampal CA3 network activity.
  J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2005 Aug;314(2):552-60.
• Murphy TC, Poppe C, Porter JE, Montine TJ, Picklo MJ Sr. 4-Hydroxy-trans-2-nonenoic acid is a gamma-hydroxybutyrate receptor ligand in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. J Neurochem. 2004 Jun;89(6):1462-70.
• Ren J., Porter J.E., Wold L.E., Aberle Jr. N.S., Muralikrishnan D. and Haselton J.R.: Depressed Contractile Function and Adrenergic Responsiveness of Cardiac Myocytes in an Experimental Model of Parkinson Disease, the MPTP-Treated Mouse. Neurobiol. Aging., 25(1):131-8, 2004.
• Sangchot P., Sharma S., Chetsawang B., Porter J.E., Govitrapong P. and Ebadi M.: Deferoxamine Attenuates Iron-Induced Oxidative Stress and Prevents Mitochondrial Aggregation and a-Synuclein Translocation in SK-N-SH Cells in Culture. Dev. Neurosci., 24:143-153, 2002.
• Porter J.E. and Perez D.M.: Influence of a Lysine 331 Counterion on the pKa of Aspartic Acid 125: Evidence for a Salt-Bridge Interaction and Role in Alpha-1b Adrenergic Receptor Activation. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Therap., 292:440, 2000.
• Porter J.E. and Perez D.M.: Characteristics for a Salt-Bridge Switch Mutation of the Alpha-1b Adrenergic Receptor: Altered Pharmacology and Rescue of Constitutive Activity. J. Biol. Chem., 274:34535, 1999.
• Porter J.E., Edlemann S.E., Waugh D.J., Piascik M.T. and Perez D.M.: The Agonism and Synergistic Potentiation of Weak Partial Agonists by Triethylamine in Alpha-1 Adrenergic Receptor Activation: Evidence for a Salt-Bridge as the Initiating Process. Mol. Pharmacol., 53:766, 1998.
• Zuscik M., Porter J.E., Gaivin R. and Perez D.M.: Identification of a Conserved Switch Residue Responsible for Selective Constitutive Activation of the ß2-Adrenergic Receptor. J. Biol. Chem., 273:3401, 1998.
• Hwa J., Gaivin R., Porter J.E. and Perez, D.M.: Synergism of Constitutive Activity in a1-Adrenergic Receptor Activation. Biochemistry, 36:633, 1997.
• Porter J.E., Hwa J. and Perez, D.M.: Activation of the a1b-Adrenergic Receptor is Initiated by Disruption of an Interhelical Salt Bridge Constraint. J. Biol. Chem., 271:28318, 1996.

Professional Organizations:

• Member of the Society for Neurosciences, 2001-present.
• Member of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Divisions of Molecular Pharmacology, Neuropharmacology and Systems and Integrative Pharmacology, 1994-present.
• Member of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 1997-present.
• American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1996-present.
• North Dakota Academy of Science, 2001-present.
• Red River Chapter of Neurosciences, 2002-present
• Ad Hoc reviewer for the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 1999-present
• Ad Hoc reviewer for General Pharmacology: The Vascular System, 2001-present.
• Ad Hoc reviewer for the National Science Foundation, Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, 2003.
• Ad Hoc reviewer for Singapore National Medical Research Council, 2003.