Dr. Anthony Auerbach
Department Of Physiology And Biophysics
324 Cary Hall
Buffalo NY, 14214
Phone: (716) 829-2435
Email: auerbach@buffalo.edu

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DESCRIPTION OF INTERESTS

Synapses are the primary points of communication between cells of the nervous system. Our laboratory is interested in synaptic receptors and ion channels. We study the molecular events that constitute agonist binding, receptor activation and ion permeation. Our research combines the approaches of pharmacology, enzymology, structural and molecular
biology, electrophysiology, and mathematical modeling. Our primary goal is to understand the molecular operation of these membrane proteins in the context of their physiological roles. We also study the biophysical basis of ion channel diseases.
To see a movie of AChR gating, click here


EDUCATION

1978 Doctor of Philosophy, Neuroscience
University of Oregon
1972 Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry
University of California at Santa Barbara


PUBLICATIONS

Auerbach AL, Chakrapani S; A speed limit for conformational change of an allosteric membrane protein.; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; 2005; 102(1); 87-92
Auerbach AL, Zhou Y, Pearson JE; F-value analysis of a linear, sequential reaction mechanism: theory and application to ion channel gating; Biophysical Journal; 2005;
Auerbach AL; Gating of acetylcholine receptor-channels: Brownian motion across a broad transition state.; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; 2005; 105(5); 1408-1412
Auerbach AL, Mitra, A., Tascionce, R., and S. Licht; Plasticity of acetylcholine receptor gating motions via rate-energy relationships.; Biophysical Journal; 2005;
Auerbach AL, Zhou Y; Reaction mechanisms for NMDA receptor-channel gating; J. Neuroscience; 2005;
Auerbach AL, Mitra A., Cymes GD; The dynamics of acetylcholine receptor pore at the gating transition states; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA; 2005; 102; 15069-15074
Mitra A, Bailey TD, Auerbach AL; Structural dynamics of the M4 transmembrane segment during acetylcholine receptor gating.; Structure (Camb); 2004 Oct; 12(10); 1909-1918
Popescu G, Auerbach A; The NMDA receptor gating machine: lessons from single channels.; Neuroscientist; 2004 Jun; 10(3); 192-198
Popescu G, Robert, A, Howe, RJ, Auerbach AL; Equal rates for dissociation and gating determine the NMDA receptor synaptic response to repetitive stimulation; Nature; 2004 May;
Auerbach AL, Chakrapani S, Bailey TD; Gating dynamics of the acetylcholine receptor extracellular domain.; J Gen Physiology; 2004; 123(4); 341-356
Auerbach AL, Popescu G, Robert A, Howe J; Reaction mechanism determines NMDA receptor response to repetitive stimulation; Nature; 2004; 430(7001); 790-793
Popescu G, Auerbach A; Modal gating of NMDA receptors and the shape of their synaptic response.; Nature Neuroscience; 2003 Apr;
Auerbach AL, Chakrapani S, Bailey TD; The role of loop 5 in acetylcholine receptor channel gating.; J Gen Physiology; 2003; 122(5); 521-539
Elenes S, Auerbach A; Desensitization of diliganded mouse muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptor channels.; J Physiol; 2002 Jun; 541(Pt 2); 367-383
Cymes GD, Grosman C, Auerbach A; Structure of the transition state of gating in the acetylcholine receptor channel pore: a phi-value analysis.; Biochemistry; 2002 Apr; 41(17); 5548-5555
Grosman C, Auerbach A; The dissociation of acetylcholine from open nicotinic receptor channels.; Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A; 2001 Nov; 98(24); 14102-14107
Zhu Y, Auerbach A; K(+) occupancy of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor channel probed by Mg(2+) block.; J Gen Physiol; 2001 Mar; 117(3); 287-298
Zhu Y, Auerbach A; Na(+) occupancy and Mg(2+) block of the n-methyl-d-aspartate receptor channel.; J Gen Physiol; 2001 Mar; 117(3); 275-286
Qin F, Auerbach A, Sachs F; A direct optimization approach to hidden Markov modeling for single channel kinetics.; Biophys J; 2000 Oct; 79(4); 1915-1927
Qin F, Auerbach A, Sachs F; Hidden Markov modeling for single channel kinetics with filtering and correlated noise.; Biophys J; 2000 Oct; 79(4); 1928-1944
Grosman C, Salamone FN, Sine SM, Auerbach A; The extracellular linker of muscle acetylcholine receptor channels is a gating control element.; J Gen Physiol; 2000 Sep; 116(3); 327-340
Grosman C, Auerbach A; Asymmetric and independent contribution of the second transmembrane segment 12' residues to diliganded gating of acetylcholine receptor channels: a single-channel study with choline as the agonist.; J Gen Physiol; 2000 May; 115(5); 637-651
Grosman C, Auerbach A; Kinetic, mechanistic, and structural aspects of unliganded gating of acetylcholine receptor channels: a single-channel study of second transmembrane segment 12' mutants.; J Gen Physiol; 2000 May; 115(5); 621-635
Grosman C, Zhou M, Auerbach A; Mapping the conformational wave of acetylcholine receptor channel gating.; Nature; 2000 Feb; 403(6771); 773-776
Akk G, Auerbach A; Activation of muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptor channels by nicotinic and muscarinic agonists.; Br J Pharmacol; 1999 Dec; 128(7); 1467-1476
Zhou M, Engel AG, Auerbach A; Serum choline activates mutant acetylcholine receptors that cause slow channel congenital myasthenic syndromes.; Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A; 1999 Aug; 96(18); 10466-10471
Salamone FN, Zhou M, Auerbach A; A re-examination of adult mouse nicotinic acetylcholine receptor channel activation kinetics.; J Physiol; 1999 Apr; 516 (; 315-330
Akk G, Zhou M, Auerbach A; A mutational analysis of the acetylcholine receptor channel transmitter binding site.; Biophys J; 1999 Jan; 76(1 Pt); 207-218
Auerbach A, Akk G; Desensitization of mouse nicotinic acetylcholine receptor channels. A two-gate mechanism.; J Gen Physiol; 1998 Aug; 112(2); 181-197
Chen J, Auerbach A; A distinct contribution of the delta subunit to acetylcholine receptor channel activation revealed by mutations of the M2 segment.; Biophys J; 1998 Jul; 75(1); 218-225
Auerbach AL, G. Akk; Desensitization of mouse recombinant acetylcholine receptors channels: a two-gate mechanism.; J. General Physiology; 1998; 112; 181-197
Premkumar LS, Auerbach A; Stoichiometry of recombinant N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor channels inferred from single-channel current patterns.; J Gen Physiol; 1997 Nov; 110(5); 485-502
Wang HL, Auerbach A, Bren N, Ohno K, Engel AG, Sine SM; Mutation in the M1 domain of the acetylcholine receptor alpha subunit decreases the rate of agonist dissociation.; J Gen Physiol; 1997 Jun; 109(6); 757-766
Qin F, Auerbach A, Sachs F; Maximum likelihood estimation of aggregated Markov processes.; Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci; 1997 Mar; 264(1380); 375-383
Qin F, Auerbach A; ; 1997 Feb; 109(2); 181-189
Premkumar LS, Qin F, Auerbach A; Subconductance states of a mutant NMDA receptor channel kinetics, calcium, and voltage dependence.; J Gen Physiol; 1997 Feb; 109(2); 181-189
Akk G, Sine S, Auerbach A; Binding sites contribute unequally to the gating of mouse nicotinic alpha D200N acetylcholine receptors.; J Physiol; 1996 Oct; 496 (; 185-196
Auerbach A, Sigurdson W, Chen J, Akk G; Voltage dependence of mouse acetylcholine receptor gating: different charge movements in di-, mono- and unliganded receptors.; J Physiol; 1996 Jul; 494 (; 155-170
Akk G, Auerbach A; Inorganic, monovalent cations compete with agonists for the transmitter binding site of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.; Biophys J; 1996 Jun; 70(6); 2652-2658
Premkumar LS, Auerbach A; Identification of a high affinity divalent cation binding site near the entrance of the NMDA receptor channel.; Neuron; 1996 Apr; 16(4); 869-880
Qin F, Auerbach A, Sachs F; Estimating single-channel kinetic parameters from idealized patch-clamp data containing missed events.; Biophys J; 1996 Jan; 70(1); 264-280
Chen J, Zhang Y, Akk G, Sine S, Auerbach A; Activation kinetics of recombinant mouse nicotinic acetylcholine receptors: mutations of alpha-subunit tyrosine 190 affect both binding and gating.; Biophys J; 1995 Sep; 69(3); 849-859
Zhang Y, Auerbach A; Kinetic properties of NMDA receptors in embryonic Xenopus spinal neurons.; J Neurophysiol; 1995 Jul; 74(1); 153-161
Auerbach AL, Chen J, Zhang Y; Kinetics of wild-type, embryonic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors activated by acetylcholine, carbamylcholine, and tetramethylammonium.; J Physiology; 1995; 486; 189-206
Auerbach AL, Sine S, Ohno K, Bouzat C, Engel A; Mutation of the acetylcholine receptor a-subunit causes a congenital myasthenic syndrome by enhancing agonist binding affinity.; Neuron; 1995; 15; 229-239
Gao J, Chou LW, Auerbach A; The nature of cation-pi binding: interactions between tetramethylammonium ion and benzene in aqueous solution.; Biophys J; 1993 Jul; 65(1); 43-47
Auerbach A; A statistical analysis of acetylcholine receptor activation in Xenopus myocytes: stepwise versus concerted models of gating.; J Physiol; 1993 Feb; 461; 339-378
Auerbach AL; Kinetic behavior of clonal mouse ACh receptors: a semi-autonomous, stepwise model of activation.; Biophysical J.; 1992; 62; 85
Auerbach A; Single-channel dose-response studies in single, cell-attached patches.; Biophys J; 1991 Sep; 60(3); 660-670
Auerbach AL, Neil J, Xiang Z; List-oriented analysis of single channel data.; Methods in Neuroscience; 1991; 4; 474-490
Davidson RM, Tatakis DW, Auerbach AL; Multiple forms of mechanosensitive ion channels in osteoblast-like cells.; Pflugers Arch; 1990 Aug; 416(6); 646-651
Auerbach A, Lingle CJ; Activation of the primary kinetic modes of large- and small-conductance cholinergic ion channels in Xenopus myocytes.; J Physiol; 1987 Dec; 393; 437-466
Auerbach A, Lingle CJ; Heterogeneous kinetic properties of acetylcholine receptor channels in Xenopus myocytes.; J Physiol; 1986 Sep; 378; 119-140
Auerbach A, Sachs F; Single-channel currents from acetylcholine receptors in embryonic chick muscle. Kinetic and conductance properties of gaps within bursts.; Biophys J; 1984 Jan; 45(1); 187-198
Auerbach A, del Castillo J, Specht PC, Titmus M; Correlation of agonist structure with acetylcholine receptor kinetics: studies on the frog end-plate and on chick embryo muscle.; J Physiol; 1983 Oct; 343; 551-568
Lingle C, Auerbach A; Comparison of excitatory currents activated by different transmitters on crustacean muscle. I. Acetylcholine-activated channels.; J Gen Physiol; 1983 Apr; 81(4); 547-569
Lingle C, Auerbach A; Comparison of excitatory currents activated by different transmitters on crustacean muscle. II. Glutamate-activated currents and comparison with acetylcholine currents present on the same muscle.; J Gen Physiol; 1983 Apr; 81(4); 571-588
Auerbach A, Sachs F; Flickering of a nicotinic ion channel to a subconductance state.; Biophys J; 1983 Apr; 42(1); 1-10
Auerbach A, Barker DL; [(3)H]Choline uptake and metabolism in nonsynaptic regions of a crustacean sensory nerve.; J Neurochem; 1981 May; 36(5); 1648-1658
Auerbach A; Acetylcholine receptors, between closed and open.; Novartis Found Symp; 245; 223-234
del Castillo J, Specht P, Auerbach A; Automatic control of potential and agonist-induced current across the endplate membrane by drug electrophoresis.; J Neurosci Res; 8(1); 35-48
Auerbach A, Sachs F; Patch clamp studies of single ionic channels.; Annu Rev Biophys Bioeng; 13; 269-302
Sachs F, Auerbach A; Single-channel electrophysiology: use of the patch clamp.; Methods Enzymol; 103; 147-176
Auerbach A, Sachs F, Neil J, McGarrigle R; Temperature measurement and control of small volumes: applications for single channel recording.; Methods Enzymol; 124; 190-206


GRANTS

April 2001 to March 2005
Algorithms for Molecular Kinetics
American Association of Dental Schools
Frederick Sachs
$1,540,000

Anesthetic Actions at Synaptic Receptors
Anthony Auerbach

Molecular Mechanisms of Glutamate Receptor Channels
Anthony Auerbach

Multiple Activity Patterns of Acetylcholine Receptors
Anthony Auerbach



 
Dr. Anthony Auerbach
Dr. Anthony Auerbach