Rick Ash, Ph.D.

Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy (b. 1947); B.S. 1969, University of Illinois; Ph.D. 1975, Stanford University. Email: Office Phone: 801-581-3192

The multiple roles of membrane transport are the subject of Dr. Ash's work. His laboratory currently studies amino acid transport in cultured cells, employing a combination of genetic, molecular, physiological, and structural approaches to analyze glutamate transport systems. Glutamate is, of course, the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian CNS and synaptic transmission is terminated by specific, high affinity import systems. However, recent studies in the lab demonstrate that glutamate transport indirectly energizes the uptake of cystine, most likely by exchange reactions. Cystine is required for the synthesis of glutathione, a vital intracellular component that protects cells, such as metabolically active neurons, from lethal oxidative damage. Understanding the mechanisms and consequences of the vital balancing act of glutamate import and export is a long-term goal. Identifying the glutamate/cystine transporter is the immediate target.

Search Pubmed for Rick Ash's lab publications

Selected Publications

Igo, R. P. and J. F. Ash. (1999) The Na⁺-dependent glutamate and aspartate transporter supports glutathione maintenance and survival of CHO-K1 cells. Somat. Cell Mol. Genet. 24:341-352.

Levy, L. M., D. Attwell, F. Hoover, J. F. Ash, M. Bjoras and N. C. Danbolt. (1998) Inducible expression of the GLT-1 glutamate transporter in a CHO cell line selected for low endogenous glutamate uptake. FEBS Lett. 422:339-342.

Tong, X., J. F Ash and K. D. Caldwell. (1997) Rapid swelling of a CHO-K1 aspartate/glutamate transport mutant in hypo-osmotic medium. J. Membrane Biol. 156:131-139.

Igo, R. P. and J. F. Ash. (1996) New mutations and phenotypes associated with glutamate and aspartate transport in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells. Somat. Cell Mol. Genet. 22:87-103.

Igo, R. P. and J. F. Ash. (1995) Novel regulations of glutamate and aspartate uptake by HeLa. Biochim. et Biophys. Acta. 1233:153-162.