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Classes Taught at JMU--
Mammalian brain development and our ability to learn and remember information requires the activation of a number of complex signaling pathways. My current research interests involve finding which factors in the Nerve Growth Factor induced signaling cascade are responsible for increasing the expression of the enzyme, Nitric Oxide Synthase I (NOS I). This enzyme produces a free radical gas, NO, and is upregulated during brain development and during memory formation. Additionally, increased NOS I expression occurs following stroke and neuronal injury and in many neurodegenerative diseases with fatal consequences. Thus learning the signaling pathway through which NOS I is upregulated may have far reaching effects in our understanding disease, brain development, and memory formation.
Some Members of the Awesome Rife Lab :)
From left to right in front - Divya Trehan and Linda Yu, and in back - Kathy Munoz andSam Campbell.
Click here for more cool pictures of this awesome lab. :)
Abstracts:
T. K. Rife, and A. P. Young, "Nerve Growth Factor Upregulation of the Nitric Oxide Synthase I Promoter Complex in PC12 Cells," Stone Laboratory Meeting, (1998)
T. K. Rife, J. Xie, and A. P. Young, "A Study of the Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase Promoter in Transgenic Mice," Stone Laboratory Meeting, (1995)
Publications:
T. K. Rife, J. Xie, C. Redman and A. P. Young, "NGF-mediated Induction of Nitric Oxide Synthase 1 Luciferase Fusion Genes Stably Transformed into PC12 Cells," Brain Research. Molecular Brain Research, vol. 75 pp.225-236, (2000)
A. P. Young, F. Murad, H. Vaessin, J. Xie, and T. K. Rife, "Transcription of the Human Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase Gene in the Central Nervous System is Mediated by Multiple Promoters," Advances in Pharmacology, vol. 34 pp. 91-109, (1995)
J. Xie, P. Roddy, T. K. Rife, F. Murad, and A. P. Young, "Two
closely linked but separable promoters for human neuronal nitric
oxide synthase gene transcription," Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA., vol.
92,
pp. 1242-1246, (1995)