Peter R. Brink

Professor and Chair,
Department of Physiology and Biophysics

PhD, Univeristy of Illinois

Phone: (631) 444-3124
Peter@patch.pnb.sunysb.edu

Department of Physiology & Biophysics
Office: Basic Sciences Tower 6-191

Research

The research effort in my laboratory focuses on intercellular communication mediated by gap junctions and mechanisms of solute/water secretion in lacrimal acinar cells.

Intercellular Communication: Gap Junctions

The laboratory has an ongoing interest in connexins of cardiac myocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells. They are essential to processes such as vaso-motor tone and cardiac arrhythmias. Much of our effort focuses on quantification of gap junction selectivity to solutes of the size and charge of metabolites and second messengers. Our most recent data shows that mesenchymal stem cells are able to form gap junctions with cardiac myocytes. These data show that mesenchymal stem cells can be used as a cellular delivery system for a variety of solutes. We continue to investigate the selectivity properties of gap junction channels composed of connexins to a wide variety of solutes involved in coordinated tissue function. These studies are done in conjugation with Dr. Ira Cohen at Stony Brook and Drs. Richard Robinson and Micheal Rosen at Columbia University.

Lacrimal gland secretions

The lacrimal gland is a major source of fluid to the surface of the eye. The transport of solutes across the epithelium of the lacrimal gland generates tear fluid and is therefore potentially a major site in causing dry eye for example. We use knockout mice devoid of specific transporters and/or channels to understand the molecular basis of fluid secretion. We have developed an in situ method to measure stimulated and non-stimulated tear flow from the lacrimal gland. We also use perforated and whole cell patch clamp along with monitoring of cell volume regulation to assess the processes responsible for secretion at the cellular level. These studies are done in collaboration with Dr Leon Moore, Dr Gary Matthews and Dr Ben Walcott at Stony Brook.