Professor Peter McNaughton

Peter McNaughton

University position

Head of Department

Professor Peter McNaughton is pleased to consider applications from prospective PhD students.

Departments

Department of Pharmacology

Email

pam42@cam.ac.uk

Home page

http://www.phar.cam.ac.uk/ri/mcna... (personal home page)

Research Theme

Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience

The Cambridge Neuroscience Community

Interests

We are working on the mechanisms by which sensory receptors transduce stimuli into a nervous impulse which can be detected by the central nervous system as a sensation. Our current areas of activity are in nociceptors (pain-sensitive neurons) and in magnetically sensitive neurons. A main area of interest is the cellular and molecular basis of the mechanism by which nociceptors sensitize, i.e. increase their sensitivity in response to pro-inflammatory mediators such as bradykinin, prostaglandins and nerve growth factor.

The image shows immunoreactivity for protein kinase C-e in a primary sensory neuron from a rat dorsal root ganglion. Activation of the bradykinin B1 receptor has caused PKC-e to translocate to the neuronal membrane. The translocation of PKC-e is a sensitive indicator of the presence of functional B1 receptors in the neuron (see Vellani et al, 2004).
The image shows immunoreactivity for protein kinase C-e in a primary sensory neuron from a rat dorsal root ganglion. Activation of the bradykinin B1 receptor has caused PKC-e to translocate to the neuronal membrane, a sensitive indicator of the presence of functional B1 receptors in the neuron (see Vellani et al, 2004).
Click image to view full-size

Research Focus

Keywords

Sensory transduction

Pain

Magnetic sensation

Inflammation

neural circuit

Clinical conditions

Pain

Equipment

Behavioural analysis

Calcium imaging

Cell culture

Confocal microscopy

Electrophysiological recording techniques

Fluorescence microscopy

Immunohistochemistry

Intracellular recording

Microscopy

Protein purification

Recombinant protein expression

Whole cell patch clamp

X-ray crystallography

Collaborators

No collaborators listed

Key publications

Vellani V, Colucci M, Lattanzi R, Giannini E, Negri L, Melchiorri P, McNaughton PA (2006), “Sensitization of TRPV1 by the prokineticin receptor agonist Bv8” J Neurosci 26:5109-16 Details

Zhang X, Huang J, McNaughton PA (2005), “NGF rapidly increases membrane expression of TRPV1 heat-gated ion channels” EMBO Journal 24:4211-23 Details

Vellani V, Zachrisson O, McNaughton PA (2004), “Functional bradykinin B1 receptors are expressed in nociceptive neurones and are upregulated by the neurotrophin GDNF” J Physiol 560:391-401 Details

Publications

2010

Cadiou H, McNaughton PA (2010), “Avian magnetite-based magnetoreception: a physiologist's perspective.” J R Soc Interface 7 Suppl 2:S193-205 Details

Studer M, McNaughton PA (2010), “Modulation of single-channel properties of TRPV1 by phosphorylation.” J Physiol Details

2009

Fan HC, Zhang X, McNaughton PA (2009), “Activation of the TRPV4 ion channel is enhanced by phosphorylation.” J Biol Chem 284(41):27884-91 Details

Momin A, McNaughton PA (2009), “Regulation of firing frequency in nociceptive neurons by pro-inflammatory mediators.” Exp Brain Res 196(1):45-52 Details

2008

Momin A, Cadiou H, Mason A, McNaughton PA (2008), “Role of the hyperpolarization-activated current Ih in somatosensory neurons.” J Physiol 586(Pt 24):5911-29 Details

Vellani V, Petrosino S, De Petrocellis L, Valenti M, Prandini M, Magherini PC, McNaughton PA, Di Marzo V (2008), “Functional lipidomics. Calcium-independent activation of endocannabinoid/endovanilloid lipid signalling in sensory neurons by protein kinases C and A and thrombin.” Neuropharmacology 55(8):1274-9 Details

Zhang X, Li L, McNaughton PA (2008), “Proinflammatory mediators modulate the heat-activated ion channel TRPV1 via the scaffolding protein AKAP79/150.” Neuron 59(3):450-61 Details

2007

Cadiou H, Studer M, Jones NG, Smith ES, Ballard A, McMahon SB, McNaughton PA (2007), “Modulation of acid-sensing ion channel activity by nitric oxide.” J Neurosci 27(48):13251-60 Details

Honan SA, McNaughton PA (2007), “Sensitisation of TRPV1 in rat sensory neurones by activation of SNSRs.” Neurosci Lett 422(1):1-6 Details

Smith ES, Cadiou H, McNaughton PA (2007), “Arachidonic acid potentiates acid-sensing ion channels in rat sensory neurons by a direct action.” Neuroscience 145(2):686-98 Details

Smith ES, Zhang X, Cadiou H, McNaughton PA (2007), “Proton binding sites involved in the activation of acid-sensing ion channel ASIC2a.” Neurosci Lett 426(1):12-7 Details

2006

Huang J, Zhang X, McNaughton PA (2006), “Inflammatory pain: the cellular basis of heat hyperalgesia.” Curr Neuropharmacol 4(3):197-206 Details

Huang J, Zhang X, McNaughton PA (2006), “Modulation of temperature-sensitive TRP channels.” Semin Cell Dev Biol 17(6):638-45 Details

Zhang X, McNaughton PA (2006), “Why pain gets worse: the mechanism of heat hyperalgesia.” J Gen Physiol 128(5):491-3 Details

2005

van der Stelt M, Trevisani M, Vellani V, De Petrocellis L, Schiano Moriello A, Campi B, McNaughton P, Geppetti P, Di Marzo V (2005), “Anandamide acts as an intracellular messenger amplifying Ca2+ influx via TRPV1 channels.” EMBO J 24(17):3026-37 Details

2004

Jones NG, Slater R, Cadiou H, McNaughton P, McMahon SB (2004), “Acid-induced pain and its modulation in humans.” J Neurosci 24(48):10974-9 Details

Robinson DR, McNaughton PA, Evans ML, Hicks GA (2004), “Characterization of the primary spinal afferent innervation of the mouse colon using retrograde labelling.” Neurogastroenterol Motil 16(1):113-24 Details

2003

Bonnington JK, McNaughton PA (2003), “Signalling pathways involved in the sensitisation of mouse nociceptive neurones by nerve growth factor.” J Physiol 551(Pt 2):433-46 Details

2002

Lee YJ, Zachrisson O, Tonge DA, McNaughton PA (2002), “Upregulation of bradykinin B2 receptor expression by neurotrophic factors and nerve injury in mouse sensory neurons.” Mol Cell Neurosci 19(2):186-200 Details