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315 464-8530

Robert Zajdel, PhD

1118b Weiskotten Hall
766 Irving Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13210
Robert Zajdel's email address generated as an image

CURRENT APPOINTMENTS

Assistant Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
Assistant Professor of CHP-Physical Therapy

LANGUAGES

English

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Not currently doing wet lab research. Expression of myofibrillar proteins at the early stages of heart development.

EDUCATION INTERESTS

Anatomy Thread Director- Gross anatomy, Microscopic anatomy, Neuroanatomy, Radiology, Embryology.

Circulatory and Respiratory I Unit Co-Director.

DPT Anatomy Course Director.

 

EDUCATION

PhD: SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse, 1997

RESEARCH ABSTRACT

Striated muscle tropomyosin is classically described as consisting of 10 exons, 1a, 2b, 3, 4, 5, 6b, 7, 8, and 9a/b, in both skeletal and cardiac muscle. Experiments in our laboratory have demonstrated expression of a naturally occurring chimeric isoform of tropomyosin that has both smooth and striated muscle exons. The chimeric isoform has a replacement of exon 2a for 2b that is commonly found in striated isoforms. GFP constructs were used to demonstrate translation and incorporation into organized myofibrils. Antisense oligonucleotide transfection decreased the expression of this isoform and disrupted organization and function.

Selected References

Wang J., H. Thurston,  E. Essandoh, M. Otto, M. Han, A. Rajan, S. Dube, R. W. Zajdel, J. M. Sanger,  K.K. Linask, D.K. Dube, J.W. Sanger. (2008) Tropomyosin expression and dynamics in developing avian embryonic muscles.  Cell Motil. Cytoskel. 65:379-392.

Zajdel, R. W., H. Thurston, S. Prayaga, S. Dube, B.J. Poiesz,  D. K. Dube.  (2007). A reduction of tropomyosin limits development of sarcomeric structures in cardiac mutant hearts of the Mexican axolotl. Cardiovasc Toxicol.  7:235-246.

Zajdel, R. W., M. D. McLean, Denz, C.R., Dube S., Thurston H. L., Poiesz, B. J., D. K. Dube.  (2006).  Differential expression of tropomyosin during segmental heart development in Mexican axolotl.  J. Cell Biochem. 99: 952-965.

Zajdel, R. W., C. R. Denz, A. Narshi, Syamalima Dube, D. K. Dube. (2005).  Anti-sense mediated inhibition of expression of the novel striated tropomyosin isoform TPM1κ disrupts myofibril organization in embryonic axolotl hearts.   J. Cell. Biochem.   95: 840-848.

Denz, C. R., A. Narshi, R. W. Zajdel, D. K. Dube. (2004).  Expression of a novel cardiac-specific tropomyosin isoform in humans.  Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.  320: 1291-129.