Marc G. Caron, Ph.D.

James B. Duke Professor of Cell Biology

Department:
Cell Biology

Email:
caron002mcdukeedu

Mailing Address:
Box 3287, DUMC
Durham, NC 27710

Telephone:
919-684-5433

Training:
Ph.D., University of Miami

Last Updated:
August 19, 2003

Research Interests:
Studies of the mechanisms of action and regulation of hormones and neurotransmitters at the cellular and molecular levels constitute the main goals our of research activities. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) mediate the actions of signaling molecules from unicellular organisms to man. We have used adrenergic and dopamine receptors to characterize the structure/function and regulation mechanisms of these prototypes of G protein-coupled receptors. Another approach has been to characterize the nature of neurotransmitter transporters for dopamine, serotonin and other neurotransmitters in an attempt to understand their function in normal and pathological neurotransmission. Another goal of our laboratory is to define the genes and pathways involved in the reinforcing properties of drugs of abuse using both forward and reverse genetic approaches.  Our laboratory uses biochemical, molecular biology and gene targeting approaches to examine these questions.

Publications:
2003 -- Pubmed # 12359863 -- Gainetdinov RR, Caron MG. MONOAMINE TRANSPORTERS: From Genes to Behavior. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol. 2003;43:261-84.

2003 -- Pubmed # 12869622 -- Torres GE, Caron MG. Center stage for the serotonin transporter: a gain-of-function polymorphism in persons with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Mol Pharmacol. 2003 Aug;64(2):196-8.

2003 -- Pubmed # 12511858 -- Torres GE, Gainetdinov RR, Caron MG. Plasma membrane monoamine transporters: structure, regulation and function. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2003 Jan;4(1):13-25.

2003 -- Pubmed # 12429746 -- Torres GE, Carneiro A, Seamans K, Fiorentini C, Sweeney A, Yao WD, Caron MG. Oligomerization and Trafficking of the Human Dopamine Transporter. MUTATIONAL ANALYSIS IDENTIFIES CRITICAL DOMAINS IMPORTANT FOR THE FUNCTIONAL EXPRESSION OF THE TRANSPORTER. J Biol Chem. 2003 Jan 24;278(4):2731-9.

2003 -- Pubmed # 12699766 -- Trinh JV, Nehrenberg DL, Jacobsen JP, Caron MG, Wetsel WC. Differential psychostimulant-induced activation of neural circuits in dopamine transporter knockout and wild type mice. Neuroscience. 2003;118(2):297-310.

2002 -- Pubmed # 12356298 -- Wilbanks AM, Laporte SA, Bohn LM, Barak LS, Caron MG. Apparent loss-of-function mutant GPCRs revealed as constitutively desensitized receptors. Biochemistry. 2002 Oct 8;41(40):11981-9.

2002 -- Pubmed # 11900882 -- Claing A, Laporte SA, Caron MG, Lefkowitz RJ. Endocytosis of G protein-coupled receptors: roles of G protein-coupled receptor kinases and beta-arrestin proteins. Prog Neurobiol. 2002 Feb;66(2):61-79.

2002 -- Pubmed # 11777907 -- Laporte SA, Miller WE, Kim KM, Caron MG. beta-Arrestin/AP-2 interaction in G protein-coupled receptor internalization: identification of a beta-arrestin binding site in beta 2-adaptin.  J Biol Chem.  2002 Mar 15;277(11):9247-54.

2002 -- Pubmed # 12377578 -- Gainetdinov RR, Sotnikova TD, Caron MG. Monoamine transporter pharmacology and mutant mice. Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2002 Aug;23(8):367-73.

2002 -- Pubmed # 11877451 -- Kim YM, Barak LS, Caron MG, Benovic JL. Regulation of arrestin-3 phosphorylation by casein kinase II. J Biol Chem. 2002 May 10;277(19):16837-46.

2002 -- Pubmed # 12177201 -- Carneiro AM, Ingram SL, Beaulieu JM, Sweeney A, Amara SG, Thomas SM, Caron MG, Torres GE. The multiple LIM domain-containing adaptor protein Hic-5 synaptically colocalizes and interacts with the dopamine transporter. J Neurosci. 2002 Aug 15;22(16):7045-54.

2002 -- Pubmed # 12383778 -- Laakso A, Mohn AR, Gainetdinov RR, Caron MG. Experimental genetic approaches to addiction. Neuron. 2002 Oct 10;36(2):213-28.

2002 -- Pubmed # 12068242 -- Savelieva KV, Caudle WM, Findlay GS, Caron MG, Miller GW. Decreased ethanol preference and consumption in dopamine transporter female knock-out mice. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2002 Jun;26(6):758-64.

2002 -- Pubmed # 12451149 -- Bohn LM, Lefkowitz RJ, Caron MG. Differential mechanisms of morphine antinociceptive tolerance revealed in (beta)arrestin-2 knock-out mice. J Neurosci. 2002 Dec 1;22(23):10494-500.

2002 -- Pubmed # 12358769 -- Barbosa J Jr, Ferreira LT, Martins-Silva C, Santos MS, Torres GE, Caron MG, Gomez MV, Ferguson SS, Prado MA, Prado VF. Trafficking of the vesicular acetylcholine transporter in SN56 cells: a dynamin-sensitive step and interaction with the AP-2 adaptor complex. J Neurochem. 2002 Sep;82(5):1221-8.

2002 -- Pubmed # 12044470 -- Joseph JD, Wang YM, Miles PR, Budygin EA, Picetti R, Gainetdinov RR, Caron MG, Wightman RM. Dopamine autoreceptor regulation of release and uptake in mouse brain slices in the absence of D(3) receptors. Neuroscience. 2002;112(1):39-49.

2002 -- Pubmed # 12009758 -- Richfield EK, Thiruchelvam MJ, Cory-Slechta DA, Wuertzer C, Gainetdinov RR, Caron MG, Di Monte DA, Federoff HJ. Behavioral and neurochemical effects of wild-type and mutated human alpha-synuclein in transgenic mice. Exp Neurol. 2002 May;175(1):35-48.

2002 -- Pubmed # 12473660 -- Tohgo A, Choy EW, Gesty-Palmer D, Pierce KL, Laporte S, Oakley RH, Caron MG, Lefkowitz RJ, Luttrell LM. The stability of the G protein-coupled receptor-beta -arrestin interaction determines the mechanism and functional consequence of ERK activation. J Biol Chem. 2002 Dec 6;():.

2002 -- Pubmed # 12163475 -- Naga Prasad SV, Laporte SA, Chamberlain D, Caron MG, Barak L, Rockman HA. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase regulates beta2-adrenergic receptor endocytosis by AP-2 recruitment to the receptor/beta-arrestin complex. J Cell Biol. 2002 Aug 5;158(3):563-75.

2002 -- Pubmed # 11682489 -- Seachrist JL, Laporte SA, Dale LB, Babwah AV, Caron MG, Anborgh PH, Ferguson SS. Rab5 association with the angiotensin II type 1A receptor promotes Rab5 GTP binding and vesicular fusion. J Biol Chem. 2002 Jan 4;277(1):679-85.

2002 -- Pubmed # 12128153 -- Haller J, Bakos N, Rodriguiz RM, Caron MG, Wetsel WC, Liposits Z. Behavioral responses to social stress in noradrenaline transporter knockout mice: effects on social behavior and depression. Brain Res Bull. 2002 Jul;58(3):279-84.

2001 -- Pubmed # 11134505 -- Barak LS, Oakley RH, Laporte SA, Caron MG. Constitutive arrestin-mediated desensitization of a human vasopressin receptor mutant associated with nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Jan 2;98(1):93-8.

2001 -- Pubmed # 11259422 -- Naga Prasad SV, Barak LS, Rapacciuolo A, Caron MG, Rockman HA. Agonist-dependent recruitment of phosphoinositide 3-kinase to the membrane by beta-adrenergic receptor kinase 1. A role in receptor sequestration. J Biol Chem. 2001 Jun 1;276(22):18953-9.

2001 -- Pubmed # 11473130 -- Kim KM, Valenzano KJ, Robinson SR, Yao WD, Barak LS, Caron MG. Differential regulation of the dopamine D2 and D3 receptors by G protein-coupled receptor kinases and beta-arrestins. J Biol Chem. 2001 Oct 5;276(40):37409-14.

2001 -- Pubmed # 11279203 -- Oakley RH, Laporte SA, Holt JA, Barak LS, Caron MG. Molecular determinants underlying the formation of stable intracellular G protein-coupled receptor-beta-arrestin complexes after receptor endocytosis*. J Biol Chem. 2001 Jun 1;276(22):19452-60.

2000 -- Pubmed # 10770944 -- Laporte SA, Oakley RH, Holt JA, Barak LS, Caron MG. The interaction of beta-arrestin with the AP-2 adaptor is required for the clustering of beta 2-adrenergic receptor into clathrin-coated pits. J Biol Chem. 2000 Jul 28;275(30):23120-6.

2000 -- Pubmed # 10748214 -- Oakley RH, Laporte SA, Holt JA, Caron MG, Barak LS. Differential affinities of visual arrestin, beta arrestin1, and beta arrestin2 for G protein-coupled receptors delineate two major classes of receptors. J Biol Chem. 2000 Jun 2;275(22):17201-10.

2000 -- Pubmed # 10744734 -- Carman CV, Barak LS, Chen C, Liu-Chen LY, Onorato JJ, Kennedy SP, Caron MG, Benovic JL. Mutational analysis of Gbetagamma and phospholipid interaction with G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2. J Biol Chem. 2000 Apr 7;275(14):10443-52.

1999 -- Pubmed # 10066824 -- Barak LS, Warabi K, Feng X, Caron MG, Kwatra MM. Real-time visualization of the cellular redistribution of G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 and beta-arrestin 2 during homologous desensitization of the substance P receptor. J Biol Chem. 1999 Mar 12;274(11):7565-9.

1999 -- Barak, L.S., Zhang, J., Ferguson, S.G. and Caron, M.G. (1999) Signaling, desensitization, and trafficking of G protein-coupled receptors revealed by GFP conjugates. In Methods in Enzymology: Green Fluorescent Protein, (P.M. Conn. ed.) Academic Press, Inc., San Diego, CA, in press.