Gerald A. Meininger, PhD
Director, Dalton Cardiovascular Research CenterMargaret Proctor Mulligan Professor in Medical Research
Professor, Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology
Adjunct Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences
Adjunct Professor, Department of Biological Engineering
Office Location: 138 Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center
Office Phone: 573-882-9662
MeiningerG@missouri.edu
Research Interests
Research in this laboratory is focused on vascular physiology and cell biology with an emphasis the microvasculature
Research Description
Research interests Meininger's laboratory have been focused on vascular physiology and cell biology with an emphasis the microvasculature. Currently active areas of research include: Laboratory models include study of the intact microcirculation, study of isolated arterioles, freshly dispersed or cultured vascular smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells and cardiac muscle cells. Examples of technical approaches include pharmacology of the intact microvasculature and isolated microvessels; ability to manipulate pressure and flow in isolated microvessels; vessel culture and transfection; immuno-cytochemistry of the microvessel wall and isolated cells; three-dimensional fluorescence imaging using confocal, multiphoton or wide field microscopy in combination with deconvolution; atomic force microscopy combined with fluorescence microscopy (TIRF and FRET); and software development for high through-put analysis and display of atomic force microscopy force data. An emphasis over the last several years has been to understand the role of the extracellular matrix, adhesion molecules and the cytoskeleton in regulation of vascular and cardiac cells; especially in the control of contractile function. A fundamental aim of this work has been to determine to what extent this matrix-adhesion-cytoskeletal axis may be involved in mechanotransduction phenomena that underlie the vascular myogenic response, flow-dependent responses of the endothelium and vascular remodeling. Advances in hybridizing atomic force microscopy with fluorescence microscopy are permitting higher throughput evaluation of cell surface receptors and their interactions with specific ligands.
Professional Background
- Obtained BS in biology, Central Michigan University.
- Obtained MS in environmental physiology, Central Michigan University.
- Obtained PhD in physiology, University of Missouri–Columbia.
- Completed postdoctoral training, Texas A&M University Health Science Center
- Academic Career from Assistant to Full Professor, Texas A&M University Health Sceince Center
- Served as Regents Professor, associate department head, Department of Medical Physiology and director, Division of Vascular Biology, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Texas A&M University Health Science Center.
- Joined University of Missouri-Columbia in 2005 as Director of Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center.
- Act as co-editor: J. Vasc. Res., 1999-present.
- Served as associate editor of Am. J. Physiol.: Heart Circ. Physiol., 1993-1999.
- Serve as editorial board member: Am. J. Physiol.: Ht Circ. Physiol.; Hyperten; J. Vasc. Biol.; Microvasc. Res.; Microc. Endo. Lymphat. Reg..
- Received Established Investigator Award from the American Heart Association (AHA), 1988.
- Serve on the national review committee of AHA 1996-present.
Selected Publications
- Martinez-Lemus LA, X Wu, E Wilson, MA Hill, GE Davis, MJ Davis and GA Meininger. Integrins as Unique Receptors for Vascular Control. J of Vasc Res 40:211-233, 2003.
- Martinez-Lemus LA, SS Bolz, MA Hill, U Pohl and GA Meininger. Acute mechanoadaptation of vascular smooth muscle cells in response to continuous arteriolar vasoconstriction: Implications to functional remodeling. FASEB J 18(6):708-710, 2004.
- Na S, Z Sun, GA Meininger and JD Humphrey. On atomic force microscopy and the constitutive behavior of living cells. Biomech and Modeling Mechanobiol 3:75-84, 2004.
- Martinez-Lemus LA, Z Sun, A Trache, JP Trzeciakowski and Meininger GA. Integrins and Regulation of the Microcirculation: From Arterioles to Molecular Studies using Atomic Force Microscopy. Microcirculation, 12: 1-14, 2005.
- Sarin, V., R. Gaffin, M.J. Davis, G.A. Meininger* and M. Muthuchamy. “RGD” containing peptides inhibit the force production of mouse papillary muscle bundles via α5β1 integrin. Journal of Physiology, 564.2:603-617, 2005. *{Shared senior authorship}
- Martinez-Lemus, L.A., T. Crow, M.J. Davis and G.A. Meininger. Integrin dependence of the vascular myogenic response. American Journal of Physiology (Heart Circ. Physiol.), 289:H322-H329, 2005.
- Partridge, C.R., E.S. Williams, R. Barhoumi, M. Tadesse, C.D. Johnson, K.P. Lu, G.A. Meininger, E. Wilson, K.S. Ramos. Novel genomic targets in oxidant-induced vascular injury. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, 38:983-996, 2005.
- Trache, A. and G.A. Meininger. An atomic force-multioptical imaging integrated microscope for monitoring molecular dynamics in live cells. Journal of Biological Optics, 2005. (In Press)
- Trache, A., J.P. Trzeciakowski, L. Gardiner, Z. Sun, M. Muthuchamy, M. Guo, E. Wilson, S. Yuan, and G.A. Meininger. Effect of histamine on integrin a5b1 - Fibronectin interaction on endothelial cells studied using atomic force microscopy. Biophysical Journal, 89:2888-28898, 2005.
- Sun, Z., A. Trache, L.A. Martinez-Lemus, J.P. Trzeciakowski, G.E. Davis, U. Pohl and G.A. Meininger. Regulation of Integrin-fibronectin adhesion in vascular smooth muscle cells: Studies using of atomic force microscopy. American Journal of Physiology (Heart Circ. Physiol.), 2005. (In Press)