Research themes

Find Dr. Spafford's research on Pubmed or Researchgate.

Areas of interest

Comparative ion channel biology

  1. Fux, J.E., Mehta, A., Moffatt, J. and Spafford, J.D. (2018) "Eukaryotic Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels: On Their Origins, Asymmetries, Losses, Diversification and Adaptations".Frontiers in Physiology. Membrane Physiology and Membrane Biophysics. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.01406
  2. Stephens, R.F., Guan, W., Zhorov, B.S. and Spafford, J.D. (2015) Selectivity filters and cysteine-rich extracellular loops in voltage-gated sodium, calcium, and NALCN channels. Frontiers in Physiology. Membrane Physiology and Membrane Biophysics. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2015.00153

T-type calcium channels

  1. Guan, W., Stephens, R.F., Mourad, O., Mehta, A., Fux, J. and Spafford, J.D. (2019) "Unique cysteine-enriched, D2L5 and D4L6 extracellular turrets regulate the cation permeation and block of Cav3 T-type channels  " (submitted Frontiers in Physiology. Membrane Physiology and Membrane Biophysics.)
  2. Chemin, J., Taiakina, V., Monteil, A., Piazza, M., Guan, W., Stephens, R.F., Kitmitto, A., Pang, Z.P., Dolphin, A.C., Perez-Reyes, E., Dieckmann, T., Guillemette, J.G., Spafford, J.D. (2017) “Ca regulates Cav3 T-type channels at their gating brake”. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 292(49) 20010-20031. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M117.807925
  3. Guan, W., Stephens, R.F. and Spafford, J.D. (2014) "Cav3 T-type channels as drug targets for treating epilepsy" Future Neurology. 9(6)563-566. DOI 10.2217/fnl.14.42
  4. Senatore, A., Guan, W., Boone, A.N., Spafford, J.D. (2014) "T-type calcium channels become highly sodium-permeable using an alternate extracellular turret region (S5-P) outside the selectivity filter” Journal of Biological Chemistry. 289(17) 11952‐11969. doi: 10.1074/ jbc.M114.551473.
  5. Senatore, A., Spafford, J.D. (2014) “Chapter 1 - Physiology and pathology of voltage-gated T-Type calcium channels”, in T-type calcium channels in basic and clinical sciences. Springer. Schaffer, Stephen W.; Wu, Songwei; Li, Ming (Eds.), pp. 3-18.
  6. Senatore, A., Guan, W. and Spafford, J.D. (2014) “Cav3 T-type channels: Regulators for gating, membrane expression and cation selectivity” Special Issue "T-type (Cav3) Calcium channels in health and disease" for Pfluger Archives: European Journal of Physiology. 466 (4), 645-660.
  7. Senatore, A., Zhorov B S., Spafford J. D. Cav3 T‐type calcium channels. WIREs Membrane Transport and Signals (2012), 1: 467-491. doi: 10.1002/wmts.41
  8. Senatore, A., Spafford, J.D. (2012) Gene transcription and splicing of T-type channels are evolutionarily-conserved strategies for regulating channel expression and gating. PLoS ONE 7(6): e37409. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0037409
  9. Senatore, A., Spafford, J.D. (2010) Transient and big are key features of an invertebrate T-type channel (LCav3) from the central nervous system of Lymnaea stagnalis. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 285, 7447-7458. 

NALCN ion channels:

  1. Boone, A.N., Senatore, A.,Chemin, J., Monteil, A.,Spafford, J.D.(2014) "Gd3+ and calcium sensitive, sodium leak currents are features of weak membrane-glass seals in patch clamp recordings” PLoS ONE 9(6): e98808. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0098808
  2. Senatore, A. and Spafford, J.D. (2013) “A uniquely adaptable pore is consistent with NALCN being an ion sensor” Channels. 2013 Feb 26;7(2).
  3. Senatore, A., Monteil, A., van Minnen, J., Smit, A.B. and Spafford, J.D. (2012) “NALCN leak conductance channel expresses in vitro and in situ with alternative selectivity filters resembling calcium channels or sodium channels”  PLoS ONE 8(1): e55088. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0055088.

Cav1 and Cav2 channels and Cavbeta subunits:

  1. Dawson, T.F., Boone, A.N., Senatore, A., Piticaru, J., Thiyagalingam, S., Jackson, D., Davison, A., and Spafford, J.D. (2014) "Gene splicing of an invertebrate beta subunit (LCavβ) in the N-terminal and HOOK domains and its regulation of LCav1 and LCav2 calcium channels" PLoS ONE 9(4): e92941. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0092941
  2. Taiakina, V., Boone, A.N., Fux, J., Senatore, A., Weber-Adrian, D., Guillemette, J.G. and Spafford, J.D. (2013) The calmodulin-binding, short linear motif, NSCATE is conserved in L-type channel ancestors of vertebrate Cav1.2 and Cav1.3 channels” PLoS ONE e61765. 10.1371 /journal.pone.0061765
  3. Senatore, A., Boone, A.N., Lam, S, Dawson, T. F, Zhorov, B.S., and Spafford, J.D. (2011)  “Mapping of dihydropyridine binding residues in a less sensitive invertebrate L-type calcium channel (LCav1)” Channels (5(2):173-87.
  4. Huang, X., Senatore, A., Dawson, T.F. Quan, Q. and Spafford, J.D. (2010) G proteins modulate invertebrate synaptic calcium channel (LCav2) differently from the classical voltage-dependent regulation of mammalian Cav2.1 and Cav2.2 channels Journal of Experimental Biology. 213(Pt 12):2094-103. 
  5. Zhang, Y., Helm, J.S., Senatore, A., Spafford, J.D., Kaczmarek, L.K. and Jonas E.A. (2008) PKC-induced intracellular trafficking of CaV2.1 precedes its rapid recruitment to the plasma membrane. (2008) Journal of Neuroscience. 28(10):2601-12.

Nav1 channels:

  1. Fux, J., Guan, W., Hsueh, N. and Spafford, J.D. (2014) "Novel molluscan beta subunit (LNavbeta1) is a member of a CUB domain containing protein family, and regulates the biophysical features of LNav1 sodium channels."(submitted)
  2. Fux, J.E., Mehta, A., Moffatt, J. and Spafford, J.D. (2018) "Eukaryotic Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels: On Their Origins, Asymmetries, Losses, Diversification and Adaptations".Frontiers in Physiology. Membrane Physiology and Membrane Biophysics. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.01406

Other:

  1. Senatore, A., Boone, A. and Spafford, J.D. (2011) “Optimized Transfection Strategy for Expression and Electrophysiological Recording of Recombinant Voltage-Gated Ion Channels in HEK-293T Cells” Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE). 
  2. Pham P., Senatore, A. and Spafford, J.D. (2007) Ion channels: from development to disease. Encyclopedia of Neuroscience. Binder, M.D.; Hirokawa, N.; Windhorst, U.; Hirsch, M.C. (Eds.). Springer Verlag GmbH, Heidelberg.
  3. Senatore, A. and Spafford, J.D. (2007) Calcium channels: Regulation of gene expression.  Encyclopedia of Neuroscience. Binder, M.D.; Hirokawa, N.; Windhorst, U.; Hirsch, M.C. (Eds.). Springer Verlag GmbH, Heidelberg. 

Funding Support:

Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada

NSERC Discovery Operating Grant

Canadian Foundation of Innovation (LOF)

Ontario Research Fund

University of Waterloo