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Francico Ciruela Alférez

Name: Ciruela Alférez, Francisco
Citizenship: Spanish
Institution: University of Barcelona
Center: Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, Medical School.
Address: Av. Feixa Llarga, s/n. Pavelló de Govern. 08907 L'Hospitalet del Llobregat Barcelona, Spain.
Phone: +34-934024280/+34-934035820
Fax: +34-934029082
fciruela@ub.edu
https://webgrec.ub.edu/webs/04732_ANG.html
http://www.ub.edu/ptex/ 

Research

Our project at the University of Barcelona is focused on the oligomerization of plasma membrane proteins involved in the molecular recognition of neurotransmitters (e.g. G protein-coupled receptors, ion channels and transporters), a field that is emerging very fast and that will be important to understand the mechanisms of signal transduction within neuronal cells. In this regard, we are using genomic, proteomic and fluorescence-based techniques applied into the Neuroscience field in order to study proteins that are determinants for this phenomenon.

Within this project we are currently interested in:

1. The control of dopamine release by dopamine D2 autoreceptors and nicotinic ACh heteroreceptors localized on striatal dopaminergic nerve terminals. We study the molecular and functional consequences of the formation of oligomeric complexes between the striatal non-alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine and dopamine receptors.

2. We investigated the ability of purinergic P2X receptors and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors to form physically linked receptors in native brain preparations and how this affects neurotransmitter release.

3. The role of GPCR-GIRK channels interactions in the basal ganglia in terms of controlling neuronal function.