Other School of Medicine Affiliations
Institute Neurological Sciences
Neuroscience Graduate Group
Institute of Aging

Degrees
Ph.D., Yale University, 1985
B.A., University of New Hampshire, 1981

Honors
Paul F. Cranefield Award, Society of General Physiologists
McKnight Scholar in Neurosciences
Klingenstein Fellowship Award in the Neurosciences

Professional Affiliations
Society of General Physiologists
Society for Neuroscience
Biophysical Society
American Association for the Advancement of Science

Research Description
My laboratory currently focuses on regulation of cellular excitability using electrophysiological, cell biological and molecular biological approaches. My immediate emphasis is to investigate the biophysical and molecular mechanisms of ion channel regulation by oxidation of methionine and cysteine using large-conductance calcium-dependent potassium channels.

The laboratory also studies how oxidation/reduction of methionine participates in life span determination using the model organism Drosophila. We hypothesize that oxidation of methionine shortens and enhanced repair of oxidized methionine extends the life span.

Because oxidative stress capable of oxidizing methionine is involved in many physiological and pathophysiological conditions, including some neurodegenerative diseases, regulation of methionine oxidation may be a viable therapeutic target.

Representative Publications
Tang, X. D., R. Xu, M. F. Reynolds, M. L. Garcia, S. H. Heinemann and T. Hoshi (2003) Heam can bind to and inhibit mammalian calcium-dependent Slo1 BK channels. Nature 425, 531-535.

Ruan, H. X. D. Tang, M. L. Chen, M. L. Joiner, G. Sun, N. Brot, H. Weissbach, S. H. Heinemann, L. Iverson, C.-F. Wu, and T. Hoshi (2002) High-quality life extension by the enzyme peptide methionine sulfoxide reductase. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 99, 2748-2753.

Hoshi, T. and S. H. Heinemann (2001). Regulation of cell function by methionine oxidation and reduction. J. Physiol (London) 531, 1-11.

Click here for a full list of publications
(searches the National Library of Medicine's PubMed database.)