Home > Faculty > Dr. Susana G. Rossi

Susana G. Rossi, Ph.D. Research Assistant Professor of Cell Biology & Anatomy Rosenstiel Medical Science Building 1600 NW 10th Avenue, Miami, FL 33136 Telephone: (305)243-6940 FAX: (305)545-7166 srossi@med.miami.edu

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Curriculum Vitae

B.S., Mar del Plata University, Argentina, Engineering
M.S., Mar del Plata University, Argentina, Electrical Engineering, 1978
M.S., Buenos Aires University, Biological Sciences, 1983
Ph.D., Buenos Aires University, Argentina , 1989
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Miami 1990-1994
Research Associate, University of Miami, 1994-1997
Research Assistant Professor, University of Miami 1997-present

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Research Interests

Our major research efforts focus on the biogenesis, sorting and regulation of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) using a wide variety of cellular and molecular approaches. AChE is an essential component of the neuromuscular junction and cholinergic synapses in the central and peripheral nervous systems where it is responsible for terminating neurotransmission by rapidly hydrolysing the acetylcholine released.

The expression of AChE in nerves and muscles is regulated by cellular activity, such as the frequency of membrane depolarization, and by signals from pre-synaptic cells. The specific signalling pathways involved, however, are still poorly defined. We have used primary cultures of quail muscles cells to study the regulation of AChE because they organize the enzyme on their surface in the form of clusters associated with several extracellular matrix components where the specific binding sites are the same as at adult neuromuscular junctions. Our studies so far suggest that multiple signalling pathways are involved in regulating AChE activity in skeletal muscle.

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Selected Publications

Rotundo, R.L., Rossi, S.G., and Peng, H.B. Targeting Acetylcholinesterase Molecules to the Neuromuscular Synapse.
J. Physiology (Paris) 92: 195-198 (1998).

Peng, H.B., Xie, H., Rossi, S.G., and Rotundo, R.L. Acetylcholinesterase Clustering at the Neuromuscular Junction Involves Perlecan and Dystroglycan. J. Cell Biol. 145: 911-921 (1999).

Rossi, S.G., Vazquez, A.E., and Rotundo, R.L., Local Control of Acetylcholinesterase Gene Expression in Multinucleated Skeletal Muscle Fibers. J. Neurosci. 20: 919-928 (2000).

Adams, M.E., Kramarcy, N., Krall, S.P., Rossi, S.G., Rotundo, R.L., Sealock, R., and Froehner, S.C., Absence of a-Syntrophin Leads to Structurally Aberrant Neuromuscular Synapses Deficient in Utrophin. J. Cell Biol. 150: 1385-1397 (2000).

Jacobson, C., Cote, P., Rossi, S.G., Rotundo, R.L., and Carbonetto, S. The Dystroglycan Complex is Necessary for Stabilization of Acetylcholine Receptor Clusters at Neuromuscular Junctions and Formation of the Synaptic Basement Membrane. J. Cell Biol., 152: 435-450 (2001).

Arikawa-Hirasawa, E., Rossi, S.G., Rotundo, R.L., and Yamada, Y. Absence of Acetylcholinesterase at the Neuromuscular Junctions of Perlecan-Null Mice. Nature Neurosc., 5: 119-123 (2002).

Rossi, S.G., Dickerson, I., and Rotundo, R.L. Localization of CGRP Receptor Complex at the Vertebrate Neuromuscular Junction and its Role in Regulating Acetylcholinesterase Biogenesis. (Submitted for publication).

View published research articles by Dr. Rossi in the National Library of Medicine

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