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Anthony Carruthers, Ph.D.



Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

Carrier-mediated transport

 Research in my laboratory is aimed at understanding protein-mediated transport of nutrients and other small molecules across cell membranes.

The Major Facilitator Superfamily (MFS) of transport proteins comprises more than 1,000 unique proteins that mediate passive and secondary active transmembrane transport of nutrients, drugs, ions, neurotransmitters, and other molecules in all organisms. The facilitative glucose transporter family (GLUT1-12 and HMIT) mediates monosaccharide uniport in vertebrates. GLUT proteins are expressed in an organ-system specific manner allowing them to meet the metabolic needs of the organism. For example, GLUT2 is found in the liver and β-cells of the pancreas, GLUT3 is expressed in neuronal cells, and insulin-sensitive GLUT4 is found in muscle and adipose tissue. GLUT1 is found in many tissues throughout the body but is expressed most highly in the circulatory system and at blood-tissue barriers such as the blood-brain barrier where it mediates glucose transfer from blood to brain by catalyzing transcellular glucose transport. The focus of our laboratory is to understand the molecular basis of GLUT function and regulation.

Our methods include the latest techniques in molecular biology, genetics, protein chemistry, mass spectrometry, biochemistry, biophysics and cellular physiology. More details about the laboratory may be found at our lab web page http://glutxi.umassmed.edu/index.html

Office: S1-824
Phone: 508-856-6074 & 5570
Fax: 508-856-3659 or 508-856-6464
E-mail: Anthony.Carruthers@umassmed.edu
Keywords: Biophysics, Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Structural Biology

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