Staff Profile:Dr Marcus Rattray
- Name:
- Dr Marcus Rattray
- Job Title:
- Reader in Pharmacology, Director of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Director of Research
- Responsibilities:
- Deputy Chief Editor, Journal of Neurochemistry
- Areas of Interest:
In my laboratory, the primary research interest is the properties and functions of transporter proteins in the central nervous system, and in particular their importance in neurodegeneration. We use mainly molecular biological and cell biological techniques. Other related work is to understand the intracellular events underlying neurodegeneration and neuroprotection, in particular the role of co-ordinated gene expression in astrocytes in protecting neurones.
Glutamate transporters and neurodegeneration
Much of our recent work has focussed on the glutamate transporter proteins. These proteins are expressed mainly by astrocytes (glial cells) in the central nervous system where they are important in controlling the levels of the neurotransmitter glutamate in the synaptic cleft. If glutamate transporters are impaired then elevated glutamate levels contribute to neuronal death. This process of excitotoxicity has been strongly implicated in a number of neurological illnesses, including Motor Neurone Disease and diseases associated with ageing such as Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease. We are carrying out work to understand how glutamate transporters are down-regulated, and the consequences of this down-regulation, mostly using cell culture models.
Other interests include drugs of abuse, particularly MDMA, the development of new treatments for addiction, and the mechanisms of action of neuroprotective drugs.
Over the last 3 years my research has been funded by the Alzheimer's Society, Parkinson's UK, Motor Neurone Disease Association, Biochemical Society, Medical Research Council, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association.
Laboratory Members:
Alison Spilsbury, PhD student, MRC
Henry Tu, PhD student, Alzheimer's Scoiety
Christopher Ugbode, PhD student, BBSRC with Pfizer
Victoria Pugh, PhD student, Motor Neurone Disease Association
Hong Lin, Technician
Teresa Matthews, Research Technician, ALSA
- Research groups / Centres:
Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience group
Centre for Integrative Neurosciences and Neurodynamics
- Publications:
-
YNumber of items: 20.
2012
- Vauzour, D., Spilsbury, A., Vafeiadou, K., Rattray, M. and Spencer, J. (2012) Modulation of neuroinflammation by dietary flavonoids. In: Gemma, C. (ed.) Neuroinflammation: Pathogenesis, Mechanisms and Management. Nova. ISBN 9781619424623 (In Press)
- Spilsbury, A., Vauzour, D., Spencer, J. P. and Rattray, M. (2012) Regulation of NF-κB activity in astrocytes: effects of flavonoids at dietary-relevant concentrations. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 418. pp. 578-583. ISSN 0006-291X doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2012.01.081
- Rattray, M. (2012) New insights on regulation of LMTK2, a membrane kinase integrating pathways central to neurodegeneration. Journal of Neurochemistry. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2012.07654.x (In Press)
- Carbone, M., Duty, S. and Rattray, M. (2012) Riluzole elevates GLT-1 activity and levels in striatal astrocytes. Neurochemistry International, 60 (1). pp. 31-38. ISSN 0197-0186 doi: 10.1016/j.neuint.2011.10.017
- Carbone, M., Duty, S. and Rattray, M. (2012) Riluzole neuroprotection in a parkinson’s disease model involves suppression of reactive astrocytosis but not GLT-1 regulation. BMC Neuroscience, 13. 38. ISSN 1471-2202 doi: 10.1186/1471-2202-13-38 (In Press)
2010
- Rainey-Smith, S. R., Andersson, D. A., Williams, R. J. and Rattray, M. (2010) Tumour necrosis factor alpha induces rapid reduction in AMPA receptor-mediated calcium entry in motor neurones by increasing cell surface expression of the GluR2 subunit: relevance to neurodegeneration. Journal of Neurochemistry, 113 (3). pp. 692-703. ISSN 0022-3042 doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2010.06634.x
2009
- Leoni, G., Rattray, M. and Butt, A. M. (2009) NG2 cells differentiate into astrocytes in cerebellar slices. Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, 42 (3). pp. 208-218. ISSN 1044-7431 doi: 10.1016/j.mcn.2009.07.007
- Peacey, E., Miller, C. C., Dunlop, J. and Rattray, M. (2009) The four major N- and C-terminal splice variants of the excitatory amino acid transporter GLT-1 form cell surface homomeric and heteromeric assemblies. Molecular Pharmacology, 75 (5). pp. 1062-1073. ISSN 1521-0111
2008
- Bahia, P.K., Rattray, M. and Williams, R.J. (2008) Dietary flavonoid (-)epicatechin stimulates phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent anti-oxidant response element activity and up-regulates glutathione in cortical astrocytes. Journal of Neurochemistry, 106 (5). pp. 2194-2204. ISSN 0022-3042 doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2008.05542.x
- Rainey-Smith, S., Schroetke, L.W., Bahia, P., Fahmi, A., Skilton, R., Spencer, J.P.E., Rice-Evans, C., Rattray, M. and Williams, R.J. (2008) Neuroprotective effects of hesperetin in mouse primary neurones are independent of CREB activation. Neuroscience Letters, 438 (1). pp. 29-33. ISSN 0304-3940 doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2008.04.056
2007
- Schroeter, H., Bahia, P., Spencer, J.P.E., Sheppard, O., Rattray, M., Cadenas, E., Rice-Evans, C. and Williams, R.J. (2007) (-)Epicatechin stimulates ERK-dependent cyclic AMP response element activity and up-regulates GluR2 in cortical neurons. Journal of Neurochemistry, 101 (6). pp. 1596-1606. ISSN 0022-3042 doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2006.04434.x
2006
- Rattray, M. and Bendotti, C. (2006) Does excitotoxic cell death of motor neurons in ALS arise from glutamate transporter and glutamate receptor abnormalities? Experimental Neurology, 201 (1). pp. 15-23. ISSN 0014-4886 doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2006.05.001
- Marshall, A.J., Rattray, M. and Vaughan, P.F. (2006) Chronic hypoxia in the human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y causes reduced expression of the putative alpha-secretases, ADAM10 and TACE, without altering their mRNA levels. Brain Research, 1099 (1). pp. 18-24. ISSN 0006-8993 doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2006.05.008
- Hayat, S., Williams, R.J. and Rattray, M. (2006) Serotonin transporter expression is not sufficient to confer cytotoxicity to 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in vitro. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 20 (2). pp. 257-263. ISSN 1461-7285 doi: 10.1177/0269881106063273
2005
- Dolman, D., Drndarski, S., Abbott, N. J. and Rattray, M. (2005) Induction of aquaporin 1 but not aquaporin 4 messenger RNA in rat primary brain microvessel endothelial cells in culture. Journal of Neurochemistry, 93 (4). pp. 825-33. ISSN 1471-4159 doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2005.03111.x
- De Silva, D. J., French, S. J., Cheung, N. Y., Swinson, A. K., Bendotti, C. and Rattray, M. (2005) Rat brain serotonin neurones that express neuronal nitric oxide synthase have increased sensitivity to the substituted amphetamine serotonin toxins 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and p-chloroamphetamine. Neuroscience, 134 (4). pp. 1363-75. ISSN 0306-4522 doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2005.05.016
- Rattray, M. (2005) Technology evaluation: Colostrinin (ReGen). Current Opinion in Molecular Therapeutics, 7 (1). pp. 78-84. ISSN 1464-8431
2004
- Tortarolo, M., Crossthwaite, A.J., Conforti, L., Spencer, J.P.E., Williams, R.J. , Bendotti, C. and Rattray, M. (2004) Expression of SOD1 G93A or wild-type SOD1 in primary cultures of astrocytes down-regulates the glutamate transporter GLT-1: lack of involvement of oxidative stress. Journal of Neurochemistry, 88 (2). pp. 481-493. ISSN 0022-3042 doi: 10.1046/j.1471-4159.2003.02208.x
2003
- File, S., Hartley, D., Alom, N. and Rattray, M. (2003) Soya phytoestrogens change cortical and hippocampal expression of BDNF mRNA in male rats. Neuroscience Letters, 338 (2). pp. 135-138. ISSN 0304-3940 doi: 10.1016/S0304-3940(02)01391-5
- Suchak, S., Baloyianni, N., Perkinton, M., Williams, R., Meldrum, B. and Rattray, M. (2003) The 'glial' glutamate transporter, EAAT2 (Glt-1) accounts for high affinity glutamate uptake into adult rodent nerve endings. Journal of Neurochemistry, 84 (3). pp. 522-532. ISSN 0022-3042 doi: 10.1046/j.1471-4159.2003.01553.x
For up-to-date reference list and citation data see: Marcus Rattray Researcher ID
Committees, Awards and Honours:
Editorial Board, Journal of Drug and Alcohol Research (2012-)
Deputy Chief Editor, Journal of Neurochemistry (2011-)
Editorial Board, Nutrition and Aging (2011-)
Editorial Board, Frontiers in Experimental Pharmacology (2010-)
Member of Mechanisms of Development and Disease Theme Panel of the Biochemical Society (2009-)
Visiting Senior Research Fellow, King's College London (2008-)
Member of the Conferences Committee, International Society for Neurochemistry (2007-)
Churchill Fellow of 2006. Travelling fellowship in USA, Australia and Singapore to explore the question "how best to treat drug abusers" (2006-7)
Board Member and member of finance subcommittee, International Drug Abuse Research Society (2004-)
Medical Research Council Advisory Board/College of Experts (2003-2010)
Editorial Board, Journal of Neurochemistry (2000-)
Editorial Advisory Board of Biochemical Journal (1998-2009)
Editorial Advisory Board, Journal of Neural Transmission (1997-2005)
Professional affiliations:
British Neuroscience Association
Federation of European Neuroscience Societies
International Brain Research Oganisation
European Society for Neurochemistry
International Society for Neurochemistry
Society for Neuroscience
Biochemical Society
British Pharmacological Society
Teaching responsibilities:
External examiner, Welsh School of Pharmacy (2011-)
