Physiology

Colleen McMullen Assistant Professor MA City University of New York, 1999 Office: MS-539 Medical Center 0298 Tel: (859) 323-9443 E-mail: cmcmu2@uky.edu

The main focus of my research is on specialized craniofacial motor systems. Specifically, I study the biology of the extraocular and laryngeal muscles and their corresponding neuronal controllers. Emerging evidence indicates that these muscles are significantly different from typical limb skeletal muscles, and are preferentially targeted by some neuromuscular disorders (e.g., myasthenia gravis) and spared by others (e.g., muscular dystrophies). We search for the reasons behind the divergent response of extraocular and laryngeal muscles to neuromuscular diseases. In addition, some of our projects study the effects of abnormal development and aging on the functional and metabolic profiles of these small and ultrafast muscles.

Recent publications:

Patel, KN, Soubra, SH, Bellera, RV, Dong, J, McMullen, CA, Burns, AR, Rumbaut, RE. Differential role of von Willebrand factor and P-selectin on microvascular thrombosis in endotoxemia. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2008 Sep 18.

Patel SP, Gamboa JL, McMullen CA, Rabchevsky AG, Andrade FH. Extraocular muscle mitochondria have a lower respiratory capacity: evidence for intrinsic differences in mitochondrial composition and function. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2008 Sep 12.

McMullen, CA, Andrade, FH. Contractile dysfunction and altered metabolic profile of the aging rat thyroarytenoid muscle. J Appl Physiol. 2006. 100(2):602-608.

McMullen, CA, and Andrade, FH. Lactate is a metabolic substrate that sustains extraocular muscle function. Pflugers Arch. 2006 Apr;452(1):102-8.

Yin H, Stahl JS, Andrade FH, McMullen CA, Webb-Wood S, Newman NJ, Biousse V, Wallace DC, Pardue MT. Eliminating the Ant1 isoform produces a mouse with CPEO pathology but normal ocular motility. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2005. Dec; 46(12):4555-62.

Andrade FH, McMullen CA, Rumbaut RE. Mitochondria are fast Ca2+ sinks in rat extraocular muscles: a novel regulatory influence on contractile function and metabolism. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2005 Dec;46(12):4541-7.