Aikaterini Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos, PhD and Robert J. Bloch, PhD, University Maryland, Baltimore

Katia Kontrogianni
Aikaterini Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos, PhD
Marc Lalande, PhD
Robert J. Bloch, PhD

The Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos and Bloch labs focus on the role of cytoskeletal proteins in muscle organization. The identification and functional characterization of molecules that form the non-contractile cytoskeleton, which in turn "build" the contractile apparatus of striated muscle, is crucial for understanding how myofibers develop, generate and transmit force, and maintain their structural integrity during contraction and relaxation. Moreover, elucidation of the fundamental biology and pathophysiology of muscle cytoskeleton will give a better insight on the etiologies that underlie severe muscular dystrophies and cardiac disorders. This will ultimately facilitate the development of innovative therapeutic strategies.

The Investigator's Annexe Part of The Investigator's Annexe program.

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References

  1. Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos, A., Jones, E., van Rossum, D., and Bloch, R.J., "Obscurin is a Ligand for Small Ankyrin 1 in Skeletal Muscle" Mol. Biol. Cell 14, 1138-1148, 2003.
  2. Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos, A. and Bloch, R.J., "Obscurin: a multitasking muscle giant", J. Muscle Res. Cell Motility, 26, 419-426, 2006.
  3. Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos, A., Catino, D.H., Strong, J.C., Sutter, S., Borisov, A.B., Pumplin, D.W., Russell, M.W., and Bloch, R.J. "Obscurin Modulates the Assembly and Organization of both the Myofibril and the Sarcoplasmic Reticulum" FASEB J., 20, 2102-2111, 2006.
  4. Bowman, A.L., Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos, A., Hirsch, H., Geisler, S., Gonzalez-Serratos, H., Russell, M.W. and Bloch, R.J., "Different obscurin isoforms localize to distinct sites at sarcomeres". FEBS Letters, 581, 1549-54, 2007.
  5. Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos, A., Ackermann, M.A, Bowman, A.L., Yap, S.L. and Bloch, R.J., "Muscle giants: Molecular templates in sarcomerogenesis", Physiol. Reviews, 89 (4), 1217-1267, 2009.
  6. Perry, N.A., Ackermann, M.A., Shriver, M., Hu, L.Y., and Kontrogianni-Konstantopoulos A., â??Obscurins: Unassuming giants enter the spotlightâ?, IUBMB Life, 65(6):479-86, 2013.