Professor
Anatomy and Neurobiology
Email Website Contact Info More Publications
My laboratory focuses on the basic cellular properties of developing nerve and muscle with emphasis on relating structure to function. Several different projects are currently underway. The first involves the mechanism of nerve growth cone locomotion and the relationship between growth cone motility, guidance and nerve outgrowth. The focus of this work is on the mechanoenzymes (myosins) and cytoskeletal components that are likely to participate in growth cone motility. Cellular and molecular methods are being used to locate and disrupt the activity of myosins and cytoskeletal polymers, such as actin filaments and microtubules thought to be important for locomotion. In addition the role of myosin II in axon guidance is being studied. We have found that myosin II is highly influenced by integrin activation and this has profound affects on axon guidance.
The second project focuses on the role of myosin activity in development of cells of the cardiovascular system, cardiac myocytes and endothelial cells. Gene knockout and myosin specific inhibitors are being used to determine how activity regulates the formation and maintenance of myosin bipolar filaments. Myosin bipolar filaments greatly influence the functional properties of these cells. This last project is a collaborative effort with other researchers at WUMS and STLUMS.
Research Photos (Click to Enlarge)
Research Publications
Bridgman PC (2004 Feb 5). Myosin-dependent transport in neurons. J Neurobiol. 58 (2): 164-74. Full Article >
Brown ME, Bridgman PC (2004 Jan). Myosin function in nervous and sensory systems. J Neurobiol. 58 (1): 118-30. Full Article >
Bridgman PC, Brown ME, Balan I (2003). Biolistic transfection. Methods Cell Biol. 71: 353-68. Full Article >
Brown J, Bridgman PC (2003 Apr). Role of myosin II in axon outgrowth. J Histochem Cytochem. 51 (4): 421-8. Full Article >
Brown ME, Bridgman PC (2003 Mar 15). Retrograde flow rate is increased in growth cones from myosin IIB knockout mice. J Cell Sci. 116 (Pt 6): 1087-94. Full Article >
Bridgman PC (2002 Jun). Growth cones contain myosin II bipolar filament arrays. Cell Motil Cytoskeleton. 52 (2): 91-6. Full Article >
Contact Info
Paul Bridgman, Ph.D.*
Office Location: 478 McDonnell Sciences Bldg.
Office Phone: 314-362-3449
Campus Box: 8108
Fax: 314-747-1150
bridgmap@pcg.wustl.edu
http://conifer.wustl.edu/
