Vadim Arshavsky, PhD

Professor of Ophthalmology and Pharmacology and Cancer Biology

Education 

Moscow State University, PhD

Postdoctoral

University of Wisconsin

Email

vadim.arshavsky@duke.edu

Website

duke.edu/~arsha001

Phone

919-668-5391

Fax

919-684-3826

Research Interests

Vadim Arshavsky, PhD, conducts research on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of signal transduction. He uses vertebrate photoreceptor cells (sensory neurons specialized in the primary processing of light signals) because of the well-defined function of the cells and their unique suitability for modern multi-disciplinary approaches to examine the fundamental issues in molecular and cellular neuroscience, as well as in cell signaling in general. The results of his studies have included the first demonstration that the GTPase activity of a G protein could be activated by other regulatory proteins, the discovery of a novel adaptation mechanism based on massive light-dependent translocation of transducin between the major functional compartments of photoreceptors and, most recently, the discovery of R7 Binding Protein (R7BP) a novel neuronal-specific protein interacting with a family of regulators of G protein signaling in the brain.

Arshavsky has also focused on how the malfunctioning of signaling mechanisms in photoreceptors may impair vision or lead to retinal degeneration, as observed in retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration. A recent example of this work in this direction is a multi-laboratory collaboration leading to identification of a novel disease, bradyopsia, characterized by patients' inability to adapt to bright light and see moving objects.

Representative Publications 

1. Arshavsky VY, Bownds MD. Regulation of deactivation of photoreceptor G protein by its target enzyme and cGMP. Nature 1992:357:416-417. 
2. Tsang SH, Burns ME, Calvert PD, Gouras P, Baylor DA, Goff SP, Arshavsky VY. Role for the target enzyme in photoreceptor G-protein deactivation in vivo. Science 1998:282:117-121. 
3. Makino ER, Handy JW, Li T, Arshavsky VY. The GTPase activating factor for transducin in rod photoreceptors is the complex between RGS9 and type 5 G protein B subunit. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 1999:96:1947-1952. 
4. Leskov IB, Klenchin VA, Handy JW, Whitlock GG, Govardovskii VI, Bownds MD, Lamb TD, Pugh EN, Jr., Arshavsky VY. The gain of rod phototransduction: reconciliation of biochemical and electrophysiological measurements. Neuron 2000:27:525-537. 
5. Sokolov M, Lyubarsky AL, Strissel KJ, Savchenko AB, Govardovskii VI, Pugh EN, Jr., Arshavsky VY. Massive light-driven translocation of transducin between the two major compartments of rod cells: a novel mechanism of light adaptation. Neuron 2002:33:95-106. 
6. Martemyanov KA, Hopp JA, Arshavsky VY. Specificity of G protein - RGS protein recognition is regulated by affinity adapters. Neuron 2003:38:857-862. 
7. Nishiguchi M, Sandberg MA, Kooijman AC, Martemyanov KA, Pott JWR, Hagstrom SA, Avshavsky VY, Berson EL, Dryja TP. Defects in RGS9 or its anchor protein R9AP in patients with slow photoreceptor deactivation. Nature 2004:427:75-78. 
8. Martemyanov KA, Yoo PJ, Skiba NP, Arshavsky VY. R7BP - a novel neuronal protein interacting with RGS proteins of the R7 family. J. Biol. Chem. 2005:280:5133-5136. 
9. Sampath AP, Strissel KJ, Elias R, Arshavsky VY, McGinnis JF, Chen J, Kawamura S, Rieke F, Hurley JB Recoverin improves rod-mediated vision by enhancing signal transmission in the mouse retina. Neuron 2005; 46:413–420.
10. Strissel KJ, Lishko PV, Trieu LH, Kennedy MJ, Hurley JB, Arshavsky VY. Recoverin Undergoes Light-dependent Intracellular translocation in rod photoreceptors. J. Biol. Chem. 2005; 280:29250–29255.