Psychiatry

Aaron Janowsky, Ph.D.

Aaron J. Janowsky, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience
Research Career Scientist, VA Medical Center

1974, BA (Biology) University of California at San Diego
1982, PhD (Pharmacology), Vanderbilt University SoM
1981-82, Upjohn Pharmaceutical Pre- and Postdoctoral Fellowship, Vanderbilt University
1982-84, Research Associate, Pharmacology Research Associate Training Program, National Institute of General Medical Sciences and Clinical Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health

Research Interests

Dr. Janowsky's laboratory is involved in characterizing drug interactions with neurotransmitter transporters. A major goal is to identify potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders including Parkinson's disease, alcohol and drug abuse, depression and schizophrenia. Methods used include determining the effects of drugs on radioligand binding to, and on neurotransmitter uptake and release by, cells expressing cloned DNA for the respective human transporters. Dr. Janowsky and his co-investigators are also characterizing the effects of site-directed mutagenesis on transporter selectivity for drugs and neurotransmitters. In addition, they are characterizing drug- and disease-induced changes in glutamate receptor subunits and splice variants. This works involves use of cells expressing cloned DNA for the splice variants, and assessing effects of drugs on receptor RNA and protein expression expression in various brain regions.

Recent Publications:

  1. Eshleman AJ and Janowsky A (2003) Dopamine transporters: pharmacology, and involvement in neuropsychiatric disease. In, Dopamine Receptors and Transporters, 2nd Edition. Sidhu A, Laruelle M, and Vernier P (Eds) Marcel Dekker, Inc. publishers, NY NY

  2. Loftis JM and Janowsky A (2003) The NMDA receptor subunit NR2B: localization, functional properties, regulation and clinical implications. Pharmacol & Ther, 97:55-85.

  3. Messamore E, Hoffman WF and Janowsky A (2003) The niacin skin flush abnormality in schizophrenia: A quantitative dose-response study. Schizophrenia Research, 62:251-8.

  4. Fandrick K, Feng X, Janowsky A, Johnson R, and Cashman JR (2003) Bivalent biogenic amine reuptake inhibitors. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 13:2151-2154.

  5. Lu NZ, Eshleman AJ, Janowsky A and Bethea CL (2003) Ovarian steriod regulation of serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT) binding and serotonin uptake in adult macaques. Mol Psychiatry, 8:353-60.

  6. Loftis JM and Janowsky A (2002) Cocaine withdrawal-induced alterations in the expression and serine phosphorylation of NR1 NMDA receptor subunit. Psychopharmacol, 164:349-359.

  7. Loftis JM, Janowsky A: Regulation of NMDA receptor subunits and nitric oxide synthase expression during cocaine withdrawal. J. Neurochem, To be published.

  8. Janowsky A, Mah C, Johnson RA, Cunningham CL, Phillips TJ, Crabbe JC, Eshleman AJ, Belknap JK: Mapping genes that regulate density of dopamine transporters and correlated behaviors in recombinant inbred mice. J. Pjarmacol Exp Ther, 298:634-43 (2001).

  9. Keen JE, Khawaled R, Farrens DL, Neelands T, Rivard A, Bond CT, Janowsky A, Kakler B, Adelman JP, Maylie J: Domains responsible for contitutive and Ca2+dependent interactions between calmodulin and small conductance Ca2+activated potassium channels. J. Neurosci, 19:8830-8838 (1999).

  10. Pribnow D, Johnson-Pais T, Bond CT, Keen J, Johnson RA, Janowsky A, Silvia C, Thayer M, Maylie J, Adelman JP: Skeletal muscle and small-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels. Muscle and Nerve, 22:742-750 (1999.

  11. Eshleman AJ, Carmolli M, Cumbay M, Neve KA, Janowsky A: Characteristics of drug interactions with recumbant biogenic amine transporters expressed in the same cell type. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ter., 289:877-885 (1999.

  12. Buckman JF, Meshul CK, Finn DA, Janowsky A: Glutamate uptake in mice bred for ethanol withdrawal severity. J. Psychopharmacol., 143:174-182 (1999).

  13. Cashman JR, Xiong YN, Xu L, Janowsky A: N-oxygenation of amphetamine and methamphetamine by the human falvin-containing monooxygenase (form 3): role in bioactivation/detoxication. J. Pharmacol., 288:1251-1260 (1999).

  14. Janowsky A, Neve KA, Eshleman AJ: Uptake and Release of Neurotransmitters, in Current Protocols in Neuroscience. Skolnick P, and Sibley D (Eds.) John Wiley & Sons, Inc., publishers Brooklyn, NY (1998).

  15. Johnson RA, Eshleman AJ, Meyers T, Neve KA, Janowsky A: [3H]Substrate- and cell-specific effects of uptake inhibitors on human dopamine and serotonin transporter-mediated efflux. Synapse, 30:97-106 (1998).

  16. Fang Y, Janowsky A, Ronnekleiv OK: Cocaine exposure in fetal rhesus monkey: consequences for dopamine D1- and D2-like receptor binding densities. Develop. Brain Res, 104:163-174 (1997).

  17. Eshelman AJ, Stewart E, Evanson A, Janowsky A, Neve K: Metabolism of dopamine by catechol-o-methyltransferase in multiple cell lines expressing a recombinant transporter. J. Neurochem., 69:1459-1466 (1997).

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