Individual Listing

Biological Sciences Bldg.
University of California
Riverside, CA 92521

Adams, Michael E

Professor of Entomology, Cell Biology & Neuroscience
Director, Neuroscience Graduate Program

College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Entomology


Biography

Research Specialization - Isolation, characterization and physiological actions of ion-channel toxins from arachnid venoms; physiology and biochemistry of nervous system transmission in insects. Our main research focus is on the discovery and use of natural toxins for the analysis of synaptic ion channels. Peptide toxins from spiders, scorpion and marine snails are proving to be selective, high affinity antagonists of both ligand- and voltage-gated ion channels that are involved in cell signalling. In particular, the w-agatoxins and w-conotoxins are now used for classification of the growing diversity of presynaptic calcium channels in the brain and peripheral nervous system that are involved in synaptic transmission. A parallel line of research is concerned with peptidergic synaptic transmission. The pentapeptide proctolin is co-released with glutamate from a subset of insects. We have found that the peptide augments the muscle response to glutamate by modulating voltage-sensitive calcium channels. This modulation involves a G protein-linked receptor and protein kinase C.

Degrees

PhD Entomology (Insect Physiol) 1978

UC Riverside

Awards

2006 Entomological Society of America, Recognition Award in Insect Physiology
2002 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
1980 Max Planck Stipendium
1979-80 NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship,
1978-79 DAAD Postdoctoral Fellowship,
1978 NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship


Research Area

We examine the molecular physiology of innate animal behaviors known as "fixed action patterns." Our focus is on ecdysis, a fixed action pattern performed by insects each time the old cuticle is shed. Neural signaling pathways underlying ecdysis behaviors arise de novo during each developmental stage following new gene expression under the control of steroid and peptide hormones. Our objective is to explain how behaviors are constructed through coordinated expression, and how they are released through hormonal and neurotransmitter signaling pathways in the brain. A second research area focuses on the biological chemistry of venom toxins from spider, scorpions and wasps, and who they modify ion channels in nerve membranes.

Publications

Kim, Y.-J., Zitnan, D., Galizia, C.G., Cho, K.-H., and Adams, M. E. 2006. A Command Chemical Triggers an Innate Behavior by Sequential Activation of Multiple Peptidergic Ensembles. Current Biol. 16: 1395-1407.

Moore, E.L., Haspel, G. Libersat, F. and Adams, M.E. 2006. Parasitoid Wasp Sting: A Cocktail of GABA, Taurine and B-alanine opens chloride channels for central synaptic block and transient paralysis of a cockroach host. J. Neurobiol. 66: 811-820.

Park, Y. and Adams, M.E. 2005. Insect G Protein-coupled receptors: Recent discoveries and Implications. In: Comprehensive Insect Biochemistry, Physiology, Pharmacology and Molecular Biology, (L. I. Gilber, K. Iatrou, and S.S. Gill, Eds.), Elsevier Press, London, Vol. 5, pp. 143-171.

Zitnan, D. and Adams, M.E. 2005. Neuroendocrine Regulation of Insect Ecdysis. In: Comprehensive Insect Biochemistry, Physiology, Pharmacology, and Molecular Biology, (L.I. Gilber, K. Iatrou and S.S. Gill, Eds.), Elsevier Press, London, Vol. 3, pp. 1-60.

Adams, M.E. 2004. Agatoxines. Toxicon 43: 509-525.

Kim, Y., Spalovska-Valachova, I., Cho, K., Zitnanova, I., Park, Y., Adams, M.E. and Zitnan, D. 2004. Corazonin Receptor Signaling in Ecdysis Initiation, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101: 6704-6709.

Park, Y., Y. J. Kim, V. Dupriez, and M.E. Admas. 2003. Two Subtypes of Ecdysis-triggering Hormone Receptor in Drosophila melanogaster. Biol. Chem. 278: 17710-5.

Zitnan, D., I. Zitnanova, I. Spalovska, P. Takac, Y. Park and M.E. Adams. 2003. Conservation of ecdysis-triggering hormone signalling in insects. J. Exp. Biol. 206: 1275-89.

Zitnan, D., L. Hollar, I. Spalovska, P. Takac, I. Zitnanova, S.S. Gill and M.E. Adams. 2002. Molecular cloning and function of ecdysis-triggering hormones in the silkworm Bombyx mori. J. Exp. Biol. 205: 3459-3473.

Park, Y., Y.J. Kim and M.E. Adams. 2002. identification of G protein-coupled receptors for Drosophila PRXamide peptides, CCAP, corazonin, and AKH supports a theory of ligand-receptor coevolution. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U S A 12:12.

Park, Y., V. Filippov, S.S. Gill and M.E. Adams. 2002. Deletion of the ecdysis-triggering hormone gene leads to lethal ecdysis deficiency. Development 129: 493-503.

Zitnanova, I., M.E. Adams, and D. Zitnan. 2001. Dual ecdysteroid action on epitracheal glands and the central nervous system preceding ecdysis of Manduca sexta. J. Exp. Biol. 204: 3483-3495.

Kingan, T.G., R.A. Cardullo and M.E. Adams. 2001. Signal transduction in eclosion hormone-induced secretion of ecdysis-triggering hormone. J. Biol. Chem. 276: 24135-24142.

Zhao, Y., Y. Park and M.E. Adams. 2000. Functional and evolutionary consequences of pyrethroid resistance mutations in S6 transmembrane segments of a voltage-gated sodium channel. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 278: 516-521.

Zitnan, D. and M. E. Adams. 2000. Excitatory and inhibitory roles of central ganglia in initiation of the ecdysis behavioral sequence. J. Exp. Biol. 203: 1329-1340.

Lee, D., M. Gurevitz and M. E. Adams. 2000. Modification of synaptic transmission and sodium channel inactivation by the insect-selective scorpion toxin LqhalphaIT. J. Neurophysiol. 83(3): 1181-7.

Kingan, T. G. and M. E. Adams. 2000. Ecdysteroids regulate secretory competence in Inka cells. J. Exp. Biol. 203(19): 3011-3018.

Yan, L. and M. E. Adams. 2000. The spider toxin omega-Aga IIIA defines a high affinity site on neuronal high voltage-activated calcium channels. J. Biol. Chem. 275(28): 21309-16.

Lee, D. and M. E. Adams. 2000. Sodium channels in central neurons of the tobacco hornworm, Heliothis virescens: Basic properties and modification by scorpion toxins. J. Insect Physiol. 46: (4): 499-508.

Zitnan, D. and M. E. Adams. 2000. Excitatory and inhibitory roles of central ganglia in initiation of the ecdysis behavioral sequence. J. Exp. Biol. 203: 1329-1340.

Zitnan, D., L. S. Ross, I. Zitnanova, J. L. Hermesman, S. S. Gill and M. E. Adams. 1999. Steroid induction of a peptide hormone gene leads to orchestration of a defined behavioral sequence. Neuron 23(3): 523-535.

Lee, D., Y. Park, T. M. Brown, and M. E. Adams. 1999. Altered properties of neuronal sodium channels associated with genetic resistance to pyrethroids. Molecular Pharmacology 55(3): 584-93.

Yan, L. and M. E. Adams. 1998. Lycotoxins, antimicrobial peptides from venom of the wolf spider Lycosa carolinensis. J. Biol. Chem. 273(4): 2059-66.

Adams, M.E. & D. Zitnan. 1997. Identification of ecdysis-triggering hormone in the silkworm Bombyx mori. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 230:188-91.

Kingan, T. G., W. Gray, D. Zitnan, and M. E. Adams. 1997. Regulation of ecdysis-triggering hormone release by eclosion hormone. J. Exp. Biol. 200: 3245-3256.

Zitnan, D., T.G. Kingan, J. Hermesman & M.E. Adams. 1996. Identification of ecdysis-triggering hormone from an epitracheal endocrine system. Science 271:88-91.

Adams, M.E. & G. Swanson. 1996. Neurotoxins. 2nd Edition. Trends Neurosci. Suppl. 17: S1-37.

Reily, M.D., V. Thanabal & M.E. Adams. 1995. The solution structure of omega-Aga-IVB, a P-type calcium channel antagonist from venom of the funnel web spider, Agelenopsis aperta. J. Biomol. NMR. 5:122-132.

Olivera, B.M., G. Miljanich, J. Ramachandran & M.E. Adams. 1994. Calcium channel diversity and neurotransmitter release: The w-conotoxins and w-agatoxins. Ann. Rev. Biochem. 63:823-867.

Adams, M.E. and B.M. Olivera 1994. Neurotoxins: overview of an emerging research technology. Trends Neurosci. 17:151-155.

Reily, M.D., K.E. Holub, W.R. Gray, T.M. Norris & M.E. Adams. 1994. Structure-activity relationships for P-type calcium channel-selective omega-agatoxins. Nature Structural Biology 1:853-856.

Adams, M.E., I.M. Mintz, M.D. Reily, V. Thanabal & B.P. Bean 1993. Structure and properties of omega-Aga-IVB, a new antagonist of P-type calcium channels. Mol. Pharm. 44:681-688.

Adams, M.E., R.A. Myers, J.S. Imperial & B.M. Olivera. 1993 Toxityping rat brain calcium channels with omega-toxins from spider and cone snail venoms. Biochemistry 32:12566-12570.

Venema, V.J., K. Swiderek, T.D. Lee, G.M. Hathaway & M.E. Adams. 1992 Antagonism of synaptosomal calcium channels by subtypes of omega-agatoxins. J. Biol. Chem. 267:2610-2615.

Mintz, I.M., V.J. Venema, K.M. Swiderek, T.D. Lee, B.P. Bean & M.E. Adams. 1992. P-type calcium channels blocked by the spider toxin omega-Aga-IVA. Nature 355:827-829.

Mintz, I.M., V.J. Venema, M.E. Adams & B.P. Bean. 1991. Inhibition of N- and L- type Ca 2+ channels by the spider venom toxin, omega-Aga-IIIA. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 88:6628-6631.

Adams, M.E., V.P. Bindokas, L. Hasegawa & V.J. Venema. 1990. omega-Agatoxins: Novel calcium channel antagonists of two subtypes from funnel web spider (Agelenopsis aperta) venom. J. Biol. Chem. 265:861-867.