MARY T. LUCERO
Mary Lucero
email: mary.lucero@m.cc.utah.edu		 Professor of Physiology

Cellular Neuroscience
Molecular Neuroscience

B.S. 1982, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Ph.D. 1989, University of California, Davis; Postdoctoral Fellow, 1989-1992, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University.

RESEARCH:

Olfactory physiology

Dr. Lucero is interested in olfaction and the mechanisms whereby a chemical odorant signal is transduced into electrical messages and transmitted to the brain. Dr. Lucero is currently studying olfaction in both invertebrate (squid) and mammalian (mouse) models. The roles of modulatory neurotransmitters, second messengers and ion channels in generating electrical odorant responses are examined using perforated, whole cell, and excised patch clamp techniques. The role of calcium in linking the electrical and biochemical responses is studied using confocal calcium imaging techniques. The olfactory system is also a good model for studying neuronal regeneration and differentiation. Recent studies in the lab are investigating functional maturation of neurons in both the olfactory system and central nervous system.

Selected Publications

Mobley, A.S., Lucero, M.T., and Michel, W.C. (2008) A Cross-Species Comparison of Metabolite Profiles in Chemosensory Epithelia: an indication of metabolite roles in chemosensory cells. The Anatomical Record, (in press).

Mobley, A.S., Michel, W.C., and Lucero, M.T. (2008) Odorant Responsiveness of Squid Olfactory Receptor Neurons. The Anatomical Record, (in press).

Mobley, A.S., Mahendra, G., and Lucero, M.T. (2007) Evidence for multiple signaling pathways in single squid olfactory receptor neurons. J.Comp Neurol., 501(2):231-242.

Han, P., and Lucero, M.T. (2006) Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide reduces expression of Kv1.4 and Kv4.2 subunits underlying A-type K(+) current in adult mouse olfactory neuroepithelia. Neuroscience, 138(2):411-419.

Hegg, C.C., and Lucero, M.T. (2006) Purinergic receptor antagonists inhibit odorant-induced heat shock protein 25 induction in mouse olfactory epithelium. Glia, 53(2):182-190.

Vogalis, F., Hegg, C.C., and Lucero, M.T. (2005) Electrical coupling in sustetacular cells in the mouse olfactory epithelium. J. Neurophys., 94:1001-1012.

Han, P., and Lucero, M.T. (2005) PACAP reduces A-type K+ currents and caspase activity in cultured adult mouse olfactory neurons. Neuroscience, 134:745-756.

Lucero, M.T., and Poulsen, J. (2005) Betaine transport in giant fiber lobes of the squid Lolliguncula brevis. Phuket Marine Biology Center Research Bulletin, 66:229-234.

Vogalis, F., Hegg, C.C., and Lucero, M.T. (2005) Ionic conductances in sustentacular cells of the mouse olfactory epithelium. J. Physiol., 562:785-799.

Hegg, C.C., and Lucero, M.T. (2004) Dopamine reduces odor- and elevated K+-induced calcium responses in mouse olfactory receptor neurons in situ. J. Neurophys., 91:1492-1499.

Carpenter, M.K., Rosler, E.S., Fisk, G.J., Brandenberger, R., Ares, X., Miura, T., Lucero, M., and Rao, M.S. (2004) Properties of four human ES cell lines maintained in a feeder free culture system. Dev. Dynamics, 229:243-258.

Hegg, C.C., Greenwood, D., Huang, H., Han, P., and Lucero, M T. (2003) Extracellular ATP differentially modulates odor responsiveness through purinergic receptor activation. J. Neurosci., 23:8391-8301.

Hegg, C.C., Au, E., Roskams, A.J., and Lucero, M.T. (2003) PACAP is present in the olfactory system and elicits calcium transients in olfactory receptor neurons. J. Neurophys., 90:2711-2719.

Vargas, G., and Lucero, M.T. (2002) Modulation by PKA of the Hyperpolarization-activated Current (Ih) in Cultured Rat Olfactory Receptor Neurons. J. Membr. Biol., 188:115-125.

Illing, N., Boolay, S., Siwoski, J.S., Casper, D., Lucero, M.T., and Roskams, A.J. (2002) Conditionally immortalized clonal cell lines from the mouse olfactory placode differentiate into olfactory receptor neurons. Mol. Cell Neurosci., 20:225-243.

Cai, J., Wu, Y., Mirua, T., Pierce, J.L., Lucero, M.T., Albertine, K.H., Spangrude, G.J., and Rao, M.S. (2002) Properties of a Fetal Multipotent Neural Stem Cell (NEP Cell). Dev. Biol., 251:221-240.

Lucero, M.T., and Sitthichai, A. (2002) Evidence for the nitric oxide pathway in squid olfactory receptor neurons. Jpn. J. Taste Smell Res. 9(3):277-278.

Piper, D.R., Mujtaba, T., Keyoung, H., Roy, N.S., Goldman, S.A., Rao, M.S., and Lucero, M.T. (2001) Identification and characterization of neuronal precursors and their progeny from human fetal tissue. J. Neurosci. Res., 66(3):356-368.

Danaceau, J.P., and Lucero, M.T. (2000) The electrogenic Na+/Ca2+ exchanger; a novel amplification step in squid olfactory transduction. J. Gen. Physiol., 115:759-768.

Piper, D.R., Mujtaba, T., Rao, M.S., and Lucero, M.T. (2000) Characterization of Human Neural Precursors. J. Neurophysiol., 84:534-547.

Lucero, M.T., Huang, W., and Dang, T. (2000) Immunohistochemical evidence for the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger in squid olfactory neurons. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society: Biological Sciences, 355:1215-1218.

Danaceau, J.P., and Lucero, M.T. (2000) Mixture interactions of glutamate and betaine in single squid olfactory neurons. J. Comp. Physiol. A., 186:57-67.

Vargas, G., and Lucero, M.T. (1999) Dopamine modulates the inwardly rectifying hyperpolarization-activated current (Ih) in cultured rat olfactory receptor neurons. J. Neurophys., 81:149-158.

Mujtaba, T., Piper, D.R., Kalyani, A., Groves, A.K., Lucero, M.T., and Rao, M.S. (1999) Lineage-restricted neural precursors can be isolated from both the mouse neural tube and cultured ES cells. Developmental Biology, 214:113-127.

Vargas, G., Yeh, J., Blumenthal, D., and Lucero, M.T. (1999) Protein kinase A activity is modulated by common components of whole-cell patch-clamp internal recording solutions. Brain Research, 828:169-173.

Piper, D.R., and Lucero, M.T. (1999) Calcium signalling in squid olfactory receptor neurons. Biological Signals and Receptors, 8:329-337.

Vargas, G., and Lucero, M.T. (1999) A new method for short term culture of adult rat olfactory receptor neurons. Chem. Senses, 24:211-216.

Petty, C.N., and Lucero, M.T. (1999) Characterization at a Na+-dependent betaine transporter with Cl- channel properties in squid motor neurons. J. Neurophys., 81:1567:1574.

Chen, N., and Lucero, M.T. (1999) Transient and persistent tetrodotoxin-sensitive sodium currents in squid olfactory receptor neurons. J. Comp. Phys. A., 184:63-72.

Danaceau, J.P., and Lucero, M.T. (1998) Betaine activates a hyperpolarizing chloride conductance in squid olfactory receptor neurons. J. Comp. Phys. A., 183:225-235.

Lucero, M.T., and Chen, N.S. (1997) Characterization of voltage- and Ca2+-activated K+ channels in squid olfactory receptor neurons. J. Exp. Biol., 200:1571-1586.

Lucero, M.T., and Gilly, W.F. Physiology of squid olfaction. In: Cephalopod Neurobiology (Abbott, N. J., Williamson, R., Maddock, L., ed.) Oxford, Oxford University Press, pp. 521-534.

Gilly, W.F., Lucero, M.T., Perri, M., and Rosenthal, J. Control of the spatial distribution of sodium channels in the squid giant axon and its cell bodies. In: Cephalopod Neurobiology (Abbott, N. J., Williamson, R., Maddock, L., ed.) Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 173-193.

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