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Dr Richard Londraville
Associate ProfessorOffice: ASEC 179
Email: Londraville
Phone: (330) 972-7151
Lab Website |
Research Interests
I'm a fish guy-I study how fish do what they do. I'm also a fat guy-I'm interested in what cells and organisms do with fat. Finally, I'm a temperature guy-I spend time thinking about how temperature affects cell function. Together, these things mean that I study the cell physiology of fish with different body temperatures, and different fat metabolisms. In the past I've worked on very cold fish (Antarctic fish) and fish that are cold seasonally (like striped bass). I've also worked on some fish that keep parts of their bodies warm (blue marlin). Where does fat come into the picture? Cold fish tend to accumulate fat. Why? How? That is some of the focus of our current research. We study proteins that may help the cell to burn fat, move it around, get rid of it or deposit it. Specifically, we are working on leptin, and enzymes that burn fat. Current directions include characterizing how leptin works in zebrafish and carp.
I have worked on some pretty cool animals. In 1998 I worked on great white sharks. Working with the South African White Shark Research Institute I was able to collect some blood from free-ranging, healthy white sharks. I also dabble in whalesharks, manatees, and bowhead whales.
In our effort to find leptin in fish, we have been using proteomics. If the entire genetic makeup of an organism is its genome, its proteome is all the proteins expressed by any cell-type at any one time. Below is an example of a two-dimensional gel, where every spot is (at least) one protein. In the lingo it is called a map. By comparing maps between tissues that represent animals under 2 conditions, you can see which proteins are up-regulated (spot gets bigger), and which are down-regulated (spot gets smaller). Once you identify a spot of interest, you can (potentially) identify it using mass spectrometry. We are working with Dr. Michael Kinter of the Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic for the mass-spec work. We have prepared maps of several tissues from fence lizard Sceloporus undulatus to compare how protein expression changes with season (in collaboration with Dr. Peter Niewiarowski). We also investigated how protein expression changes with parasitism in bluegill sunfish, and how diet affects which proteins are expressed in zebrafish. As we wrap up these projects, new directions include biomarkers in bonnethead sharks and manatees.
Education1994 Ph.D. University of Maine, Orono
-Zoology “Isolation and Characterization of Intracellular Fatty Acid-Binding Protein From Antarctic and Temperate-Zone Fishes”
1989 M.S. University of Maine, Orono
-Zoology “Maintenance of Diffusive Flux Within Skeletal Muscles of Antarctic Fishes: The Role of Ultrastructure”
1987 B.S. Long Island University, Southampton Campus
-Marine Biology (Magna cum laude)
Selected PublicationsLiu, B., R.J. Duff, R.L. Londraville, J.A. Marrs and Q. Liu. 2007. Cloning and expression analysis of cadherin 7 in the central nervous system of the embryonic zebrafish. Gene Express. Patterns 7 (1-2): 15-22
Spanovich, S., P.H. Niewiarowski, and R. L. Londraville. 2006. Seasonal effects on circulating leptin in the lizard Sceloporus undulatus from two populations. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 143(4): 507-513.
Crockett, E.L. and R. L. Londraville. 2005. Temperature. pp. 231-269. In: The Physiology of Fishes 3rd Edition. Ed. by D.H. Evans abd J.B. Crc Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Liu Q, and R. L. Londraville. 2003. Using adult zebrafish visual system to study cadherin-2 expression during central nervous system regeneration. Methods Cell Sci. 00:1-8.
Liu Q., R.L. Londraville, E. Azodi, S.G. Babb, C. Chiappini, J.A. Marrs, and P. A. Raymond. 2002. Up-Regulation of Cadherin-2 and Cadherin-4 in Regenerating Visual Structures of Adult Zebrafish. Exp. Neurology 177:396-406.
Tschantz, D.R., E.L. Crockett, P.H. Niewiarowski, and R.L. Londraville. 2002. Cold acclimation strategy is highly variable among the sunfishes (Centrarchidae) Physiol. Biochem. Zool. 75:544-556.
Johnson, R.M.,T.M. Johnson, and R.L. Londraville. 2000. Evidence for leptin expression in fishes. J. Exp. Zool. 286(7):718-724
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