Areas of Interest
We study the cell biology of GPCRs, focusing on opioid and related receptors relevant to drug addiction. We test the exciting new idea that signaling is "spatially encoded" in cells, i.e., that the same drug/receptor pair can have different effects based simply on the location in the cell from which it signals. We use innovative advanced microscopy and molecular genetic techniques to study GPCR trafficking and signaling in real time in living cells. The goal is to actively engineer receptor location to specific sites in the cell and fine-tune receptor physiology. This is a new and potentially transformative approach to receptor pharmacology and drug development.
Honors & Awards
- Dana Foundation Award, 2017-20
- Curci Foundation Award, 2016-18
- Newsmaker, The Pittsburgh Tribune, 2016
- Editorial Board, Traffic, 2016-present
Credentials
Education:
MBBS, Calicut Medical College, India, 1996
Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 2004
Post-Doctoral Training:
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, University of California, San Francisco, 2005-2009
Published Articles or Reviews
- Combinatorial expression of GPCR isoforms affects signalling and drug responses.Marti-Solano M, Crilly SE, Malinverni D, Munk C, Harris M, Pearce A, Quon T, Mackenzie AE, Wang X, Peng J, Tobin AB, Ladds G, Milligan G, Gloriam DE, Puthenveedu MA, Babu MM. Nature. 2020 Nov;587(7835):650-656. doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2888-2. Epub 2020 Nov 4.PMID: 33149304
- Compartmentalized GPCR Signaling from Intracellular Membranes. Crilly SE, Puthenveedu MA. J Membr Biol. 2021 Jun;254(3):259-271. doi: 10.1007/s00232-020-00158-7. Epub 2020 Nov 24.PMID: 33231722
- Mechanisms of selective G protein-coupled receptor localization and trafficking. Kunselman JM, Lott J, Puthenveedu MA.Curr Opin Cell Biol. 2021 Aug;71:158-165. doi: 10.1016/j.ceb.2021.03.002. Epub 2021 May 7.PMID: 33965654
- Subcompartmentalizing the Golgi apparatus. Puthenveedu MA, Linstedt AD.Curr Opin Cell Biol. 2005 Aug;17(4):369-75. doi: 10.1016/j.ceb.2005.06.006.PMID: 15975779