Miguel Angel Valverde 

Group website

 

Research Outline

Our research focuses on ion channels, transporters and signaling in the context of cellular responses to oxidative, mechanical and osmotic stresses. Our work aims to translate our understanding of cellular physiology into a better understanding of the mechanisms of human disease.

 

Research Lines

MECHANO/OSMOSENSITIVE ION CHANNELS IN SHORT- AND LONG-TERM CELLULAR FUNCTIONS  (MECHANICAL)

Mechanical forces influence cell behavior, from cell shape and movement to cell division and gene transcription through mechanotransduction and mechanoresponsive pathways triggered by cells. Understanding how cells dynamically integrate mechanical signals from the microenvironment is a challenging question in cell biology. So far, force and geometry sensing focuses on cell interaction with extracellular matrix via integrin-based complexes and the closely associated actomyosin cytoskeleton. However, cell behavior under defined 3D environments may also show integrin- and actomyosin-independent transducing mechanisms. The novelty of our proposal is to place Mechano/osmosensitive (MOS) Ion Channels central to both integrin-dependent and -independent processes. We will address several basic questions related to the mechanisms of activation/regulation of MOS channels as well as their biological/medical relevance in

long-range (term) cellular responses such as cancer proliferation, invasion and metastasis as well as in RNA metabolism and viral infection.

 

Team during 2019-20

PhD students: Julia Carrillo Garcia, Victor Herrera Fernandez

 

Postdocs: Selma Serra Pascual, Fanny Rubio Moscardo, Pau Doñate Macian

 

Technicians: Cristina Plata Fernández

 

Selected publications 2019-20

Cells overexpressing the TRPM7 cation channel increase the intracellular calcium concentration when exposed to high hydrostatic pressure.