Francis Anthony Lai

Redox sensitivity of the ryanodine receptor interaction with FK506-binding protein (2007)

Zissimopoulos, Spyros, Docrat, Naadiya, Lai, Francis Anthony

The ryanodine receptor (RyR) calcium release channel functions as a redox sensor that is sensitive to channel modulators. The FK506-binding protein (FKBP) is an important regulator of channel...

Ryanodine receptor interaction with the SNARE-associated protein snapin (2006)

Zissimopoulos, Spyros, West, Duncan J., Williams, Alan J., Lai, Francis Anthony

The ryanodine receptor (RyR) is a widely expressed intracellular calcium (Ca2+)-release channel regulating processes such as muscle contraction and neurotransmission. Snapin, a ubiquitously expressed...

Ryanodine receptor binding to FKBP12 is modulated by channel activation state (2005)

Jones, Jonathan-Lee, Reynolds, Deborah Fidelis, Lai, Francis Anthony, Blayney, Lynda Mary

Ryanodine receptor (RyR) Ca2+ release channels undergo a conformational change between the open and closed states. Its protein modulator, FK506 binding protein 12 (FKBP12), stabilises the channel...

Role of phospholipase C-zeta domains in Ca2+-dependent phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate hydrolysis and cytoplasmic Ca2+ oscillations (2005)

Nomikos, Michail, Blayney, Lynda Mary, Larman, Mark Graham, Campbell, Karen, Rossbach, Andreas, Saunders, Christopher Matthew, ...

The sperm-specific phospholipase C- (PLC) elicits fertilization-like Ca2+ oscillations and activation of embryo development when microinjected into mammalian eggs (Saunders, C. M., Larman, M. G.,...

Physical coupling between ryanodine receptor-calcium release channels (2005)

Yin, Chang-Cheng, Blayney, Lynda Mary, Lai, Francis Anthony

Ryanodine receptor–calcium release channels play a pivotal role in the calcium signaling that mediates muscle excitation–contraction coupling. Their membrane organization into regular patterns,...

Interaction of FKBP12.6 with the cardiac ryanodine receptor C-terminal domain (2005)

Zissimopoulos, Spyros, Lai, Francis Anthony

The ryanodine receptor-calcium release channel complex (RyR) plays a pivotal role in excitation-contraction coupling in skeletal and cardiac muscle. RyR channel activity is modulated by interaction...

Functional heterogeneity of ryanodine receptor mutations associated with sudden cardiac death (2004)

Thomas, Nia Lowri, George, Christopher, Lai, Francis Anthony

Objectives: Point mutations in the cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) mediate abnormal intracellular Ca2+ release and are associated with stress-induced ventricular tachycardia (VT), leading to sudden...

Ryanodine receptor regulation by intramolecular interaction between cytoplasmic and transmembrane domains (2004)

George, Christopher, Jundi, Hala, Thomas, Nia Lowri, Scoote, Mark, Walters, Nicola, Williams, Alan J., ...

Ryanodine receptors (RyR) function as Ca2+ channels that regulate Ca2+ release from intracellular stores to control a diverse array of cellular processes. The massive cytoplasmic domain of RyR is...

Cell cycle-dependent Ca2+ oscillations in mouse embryos are regulated by nuclear targeting of PLCzeta (2004)

Larman, Mark Graham, Saunders, Christopher Matthew, Carroll, John, Lai, Francis Anthony, Swann, Karl

During the first cell cycle Ca2+ oscillations are regulated in a cell cycle-dependent manner, such that the oscillations are unique to M phase. How the Ca2+ oscillations are regulated with such cell...

Ryanodine receptor oligomeric interaction: identification of a putative binding region (2004)

Blayney, Lynda Mary, Zissimopoulos, Spyros, Ralph, Emma, Abbot, Eleanor, Matthews, Laura, Lai, Francis Anthony

Specific interactions between adjacent ryanodine receptor (RyR) molecules to form ordered two-dimensional arrays in the membrane have been demonstrated using electron microscopy both in situ, in...

Dysregulated ryanodine receptors mediate cellular toxicity: restoration of normal phenotype by FKBP12.6 (2003)

George, Christopher, Higgs, Gemma Victoria, Mackrill, John J., Lai, Francis Anthony

Ca2+ homeostasis is a vital cellular control mechanism in which Ca2+ release from intracellular stores plays a central role. Ryanodine receptor (RyR)-mediated Ca2+ release is a key modulator of Ca2+...

In situ modulation of the human cardiac ryanodine receptor (hRyR2) by FKBP12.6 (2003)

George, Christopher, Sorathia, Rina, Bertrand, Benedicte M. A., Lai, Francis Anthony

The ryanodine receptor complex (RyR), a large oligomeric assembly that functions as a Ca2+-release channel in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR)/endoplasmic reticulum (ER), comprises four RyR subunits...

PLC zeta: a sperm-specific trigger of Ca(2+) oscillations in eggs and embryo development (2002)

Saunders, Christopher Matthew, Larman, Mark Graham, Parrington, John, Cox, Llewellyn J., Royse, Jillian, Blayney, Lynda Mary, ...

Upon fertilisation by sperm, mammalian eggs are activated by a series of intracellular Ca2+ oscillations that are essential for embryo development. The mechanism by which sperm induces this complex...

Recognition force microscopy/spectroscopy of ion channels: applications to the skeletal muscle Ca2+ release channel (RYR1) (2001)

Kada, G., Blayney, Lynda Mary, Jeyakumar, L. H., Kienberger, F., Pastushenko, V. Ph., Fleischer, S., ...

The skeletal muscle Ca2+ release channel (ryanodine receptor 1, RYR1) plays an important role in the excitation–contraction coupling process. We purified ryanodine receptor type 1 from rabbit white...