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Michael J. Davis, PhD

Professor and Associate Department Head, Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology
Office Location: M451f Medical Sciences Building
Office Phone: 573-884-5181
DavisMJ@health.missouri.edu

Research Interests

Research focus is on mechanisms of vascular mechanotransduction: How do vascular cells detect changes in pressure and shear stress? What cellular proteins and signaling pathways are involved in these processes? How are the mechanisms impaired in vascular disease states? Currently, we focus on two main projects with a particular emphasis on the role of vascular ion channels. Currently, we focus on mechanotransduction by lymphatic smooth muscle.

Research Description

Currently funded to investigate electrophysiological basis of pacemaking in lymphatic vessels and valve defects that lead to lymphedema.

The experimental approaches used in Davis' laboratory — isolated, perfused microvessel methods and single-cell electrophysiology  — are combined with a variety of imaging techniques, including confocal microscopy, and near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging to visualize the lymphatic circulation in mice. We currently have over 100 strains of transgenic mice in our animal colony for studies involving calcium imaging (GCaMP reporters), optogenetic studies (ChR2 expression), tissue-specific connexin knock out and ion channel knock out/in.

Professional Background

  • Obtained BS in zoology, University of California–Davis.
  • Obtained PhD in physiology and biophysics, University of Nebraska Medical Center.
  • Completed postdoctoral research at University of Arizona.
  • Served as a member of editorial boards for Am J of Physiology, Microcirculation and Journal of Vascular Research and Associate Editor for Am J of Physiology: Heart and Circulatory Physiology.
  • Received an Established Investigatorship from the American Heart Association.
  • Served as member of editorial boards for Microcirculation and Journal of Vascular Research.
  • Served as member of National Institutes of Health (NIH) Experimental Cardiovascular Sciences Study Section.
  • Received Lyndon B. Johnson Award from Texas Affiliate of the American Heart Association.
  • Received Excellence in Research Award 2001 from Texas A&M University.
  • Received Landis award from the Microcirculatory Society.
  • Received Lifetime Achievement award from Lymphatic Education & Research Network and Gordon Research Conferences.
  • Curators’ Distinguished Professor at the University of Missouri.
  • Research funded by NIH since 1986.

Selected Publications

  • Scallan JP , Bouta EM, Rahimi H, Kenne HM, Ritchlin CT, Davis MJ , and Schwarz EM: Ex vivo Demonstration of Functional Deficiencies in Popliteal Lymphatic Vessels from TNF-Tg Mice with Inflammatory Arthritis. Frontiers in Physiology 2021 Sep 27;12:745096. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.745096. eCollection 2021.
  • Chen D, Geng X, Davis MJ, Srinivasan RS, King PD. (2020). RASA1-driven cellular export of collagen IV is required for the development of lymphovenous and venous valves in mice. Development 2020 Dec 7;147(23):dev192351. doi: 10.1242/dev.192351.
  • Scallan JP, Knauer L, Hou H, Castorena‐Gonzalez JA, Davis MJ and Yang Y: Foxo1 Deletion Promotes the Growth of New Lymphatic Valves. J Clinical Investigation 2021 Jul 15;131(14):e142341. doi: 10.1172/JCI142341.
  • Kim HJ, Li M, Nichols CG and Davis MJ. Large-conductance calcium-activated K+ channels, rather than KATP channels, mediate the inhibitory effects of nitric oxide on mouse lymphatic pumping. Br J Pharmacology 2021 Oct;178(20):4119-4136. doi: http://doi.org/10.1111/bph.15602 PMCID: PMC9793343
  • Czepielewski RS, Erlich EC, Onufer EJ, Young S, Saunders BT, Han Y-H, Wohltmann M, Wang PL, Kim K-W, Kumar S, Hsieh C-S, Yang Y, Scallan JP, Zinselmeyer BH, Davis MJ, Randolph GJ. Mesenteric tertiary lymphoid organs arise at lymphatic valves and drive disrupted lymph transport in a model of Crohn’s disease. Immunity 2021 Nov 15:S1074-7613(21)00409-X. doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2021.10.003. PMID: 34788601
  • Davis MJ, Kim HJ, Li M, Nichols CG: KATP channels in Lymphatic function. Am J Physiol: Cell Physiology 2022 Oct 1;323(4):C1018-C1035. doi: 10.1152/ajpcell.00137.2022. Epub 2022 Jul 4. PMCID: PMC9550566
  • Warthi G, Faulkner JL, Doja J, Ghanam AR, Gao P, Yang AC, Slivano OJ, Barris CT, Kress TC, Zawieja SD, Griffin SH, Xie X, Ashworth A, Christie CK, Bryant WB, Kumar A, Davis MJ, Long X, Gan L, de Chantemèle EJB, Lyu Q, Miano JM.: Generation and Comparative Analysis of an Itga8-CreER T2 Mouse with Preferential Activity in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells. Nature Cardiovascular Research 2022 Nov;1(11):1084-1100. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44161-022-00162-1. Epub 2022 Nov 11. PMCID: PMC9681021
  • Davis MJ, Kim HJ, Li M, Zawieja SD: A vascular smooth muscle-specific integrin-8 Cre mouse for lymphatic contraction studies that allows male-female comparisons and avoids lethal visceral myopathy. Frontiers in Physiology 2022 10:1098408 https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2022.1098408 PMCID: PMC9878285
  • Davis MJ, Castorena-Gonzalez JA, Kim HJ, Scallan JP, Angeli V: Multiple Aspects of Lymphatic Dysfunction in an ApoE-/- Mouse Model of Atherosclerosis. Frontiers in Physiology 2022 13:1060146. https://doi: 10.3389/fphys.2022.1060146 PMCID: PMC9852907
  • Davis MJ, Earley S, Li Y-S, Chien S: Vascular Mechanotransduction. Physiological Reviews 2023 Apr 1;103(2):1247-1421. Epub 2023 Jan 5. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00053.2021. PMID: 36603156 PMC9942936 (available on 2024-04-01)
  • Bertram CD and Davis MJ: An enhanced 3D model of intravascular lymphatic valves to assess leaflet apposition and transvalvular differences in wall distensibility Biology (Basel) 2023 Feb 27;12(3):379. https://doi: 10.3390/biology12030379. PMCID: PMC10044971
  • Davis MJ, Castorena-Gonzalez JA, Li M, Remedi M, Nichols CG: Lymphatic contractile dysfunction in mouse models of Cantú Syndrome with KATP channel gain-of-function. Function 2023 Apr 18;4(3):zqad017. https://doi: 10.1093/function/zqad017. PMCID: PMC10194823
  • Davis MJ, Castorena-Gonzalez JA, Zawieja SD: Electric field stimulation unmasks a subtle role for T-type calcium channel contribution to lymphatic contraction strength. Scientific Reports 2023 Sep 22;13(1):15862. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42877-6
  • Davis MJ, Zawieja SD, Kim HJ. ERG K+ channels mediate a major component of action potential repolarization in lymphatic muscle. Scientific Reports 2023 Sep 9;13(1):14890. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41995-5 PMCID: PMC10516884
  • Zawieja SD, Pea G, Broyhill S, Li M, Castorena JA, Davis MJ: IP3R1 underlies Anoctamin1 activation and pressure-dependent chronotropy in lymphatic collecting vessels. J Gen Physiol 2023 Dec 4;155(12):e202313358. Epub 2023 Oct 18, DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202313358
  • Hancock EJ, Zawieja SD, Macaskill C, Davis MJ, Bertram CD: A dual-clock-driven model emulating the effects of either Ano1 or IP3R knock out on lymphatic muscle cell pacemaking. J Gen Physiol 2023 Dec 4;155(12):e202313355. Epub 2023 Oct 18, DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202313355 PMCID: PMC10585095
  • Zawieja SD, Castorena-Gonzalez JA, Li M, Davis MJ: Lymphatic muscle cells are the innate pacemaker cells regulating mouse lymphatic collecting vessel contractions Elife: https://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.08.24.554619v1 PMCID: PMC10585120 (available on 2024-04-18)
  • Hussain R, Ithof J, Wang W, Cheetham-West A, Björn Sigurdsson B, Sun Q, Peng S, Plá V, Kelley DH, Hirase H, Castorena-Gonzalez JA, Goldman SA, Weikop P, Davis MJ and Nedergaard M: Potentiating glymphatic/lymphatic drainage eliminates post-traumatic brain edema. Nature 2023 Nov;623(7989):992-1000. Epub 2023 Nov 15. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06737-7 PMID: 37968397
  • Jin-Hui Yoon#, Hokyung Jin#, Hae Jin Kim#, Seon Pyo Hong, Myung Jin Yang, Ji Hoon Ahn, Young-Chan Kim, Jincheol Seo, Yongjeon Lee, Donald M. McDonald, Michael J Davis, Gou Young Koh. The nasopharyngeal lymphatic plexus is a hub for cerebrospinal fluid drainage. Nature 2024 Jan;625(7996):768-777. Epub 2024 Jan 10 #co-first authors, * co-corresponding authors https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-0000-0 PMCID: PMC10808075
  • Davis MJ, Zawieja SD and Yang Y: Developmental progression of lymphatic valve morphology and function. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology (2024) 12:1331291.doi: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1331291
  • Davis MJ and Zawieja SD: Invited Review: Pacemaking in the Lymphatic System. J Physiology 2024 Mar 23. doi: 10.1113/JP284752

Published by Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center, 1500 Research Park Drive, Columbia, MO 65211
Phone: 573-882-7588 Email: mailto:dalton@missouri.edu