Professor Joe Lynch
j.lynch@uq.edu.au

 

 

Professor Joe Lynch

Molecular Neuroscience

Research focus

Selected publications

Reviews

PhD  projects available

Lab team photos

Contact details

Research focus

The major research interest in the laboratory concerns the molecular structure and function of the structurally-related glycine and GABAA receptor chloride channels that mediate inhibitory neurotransmission in the central nervous system.

The GABAA receptor is an important target for neuroactive drugs and the glycine receptor has recently emerged as a drug target for inflammatory pain. We try to understand the mechanisms by which these receptors open and close, their structure and their molecular pharmacology.

We are also interested in identifying novel compounds active at these receptors as leads for therapeutic development and as pharmacological tools for basic research. A more complete description of our current research interests is given here.

Experimental approaches include molecular biology, protein chemistry, manual and automated patch-clamp electrophysiology, fluorescence imaging, automated high throughput fluorescence-based screening, voltage-clamp fluorescence (VCF). 

Selected recent publications [top]

Kruger, W., D. Gilbert, R. Hawthorne, D. H. Hryciw, S. Frings, P. Poronnik, and J.W. Lynch. 2005. A yellow fluorescent protein-based assay for high-throughput screening of glycine and GABAA receptor chloride channels. Neuroscience Lett. 380:340-345.

Yang, Z., A. Ney, B.A. Cromer, H.L. Ng, M.W. Parker, and J.W. Lynch. 2007. Tropisetron modulation of the glycine receptor: femtomolar potentiation and a molecular determinant of inhibition. J. Neurochem. 100:758-769.

Yang, Z., B.A. Cromer, R.J. Harvey, M.W. Parker, and J.W. Lynch. 2007. A proposed structural basis for picrotoxinin and picrotin binding in the glycine receptor pore. J. Neurochem. 103: 580 – 589.

Pless, S.A., M.I. Dibas. H.A. Lester, and J.W. Lynch. 2007. Conformational variability of the glycine receptor M2 domain in response to activation by different agonists. J. Biol. Chem 282: 36057-36067.

Yang, Z., K.R. Aubrey, I. Alroy, R.J. Harvey, R.J. Vandenberg, and J.W. Lynch. 2008. Subunit-specific modulation of glycine receptors by cannabinoids and N-arachidonyl-glycine. Biochem Pharmacol. 76: 1014-1023.

S.A. Pless, K.S. Millen, A.P. Hanek, J.W. Lynch, H.A. Lester, S.C.R. Lummis, and D.A. Dougherty. 2008. A cation-pi interaction in the binding site of the glycine receptor is mediated by a phenylalanine residue J. Neurosci. 28: 10937-10942.

Lynch, J.W. 2009. Native glycine receptor subtypes and their physiological roles. Neuropharmacol. 56: 303-309.


Reviews [top]

Lynch, J.W. 2004. Molecular structure and function of the glycine receptor chloride channel. Physiol. Rev. 84: 1050–1095. <1.6 MB PDF>

 Barry, P.H., and J.W. Lynch. 2005. Ligand-gated ion channels. IEEE Trans. Nanobiotech. 4:70–80. <769 kb PDF>

 Lynch, J.W. 2005. High throughput screening of neuronal Cl^- channels: why and how? Current Neuropharmac. 3: 207–216. <1.4 MB PDF>

 Lynch, J.W., and R.J. Callister. 2006. Glycine receptors: a new therapeutic target in pain pathways. Current Opin. Investig. D. 7: 48–53. <379 kb PDF>

 Webb, T.I., and J.W. Lynch. 2007. Molecular pharmacology of the glycine receptor chloride channel. Current Pharm. Des. 13:2350–2367. <656 kb PDF>