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Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy

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Robert P. Thompson, Ph.D.
Professor

BA Biochemistry Rice University 1968
PhD Biophysics Colorado State University 1974

Room 647, Basic Science Building
Office: (843) 792-3551
Lab: (843) 792-3529

Email: thompsrp@musc.edu
   
Research Interests - Our laboratory continues to explore early cardiac embryology and morphogenesis, focusing upon the physical and cellular factors contributing to myocyte proliferation and quiescence as embryonic cardiac muscle differentiates. We are particularly interested in regional reductions in cellular proliferation that presage restricted growth, contributing in turn to segmentation of the initially tubular heart and to progressive septation of the four definitive cardiac chambers. DNA labelling and label dilution studies, as well as several descriptive studies of particular cell-surface or cytoskeletal differentiation markers, have implicated the embryonic cardiac conduction system as an organizing tissue that terminally differentiates early and serves to guide or regulate subsequent myocardial differentiation during looping, septation and continued embryonic, fetal and neonatal development. Current new research directions include study of two additional indices of remodeling of the heart wall during cardiac morphogenesis: mapping and altering apoptotic cell death foci and optical measures and computer modeling of fiber coherence and realignment. Our laboratory is well equipped and staffed for procedures such as whole embryo or organ culture, tissue perfusion and preparation for a variety of microscopic techniques, including whole mount and serial section histochemistry and immunofluorescence and laser scanning confocal microscopy.
Recent Publications
  1. Sedmera D, Wessels A, Trusk TC, Thompson RP, Hewett KW, Gourdie RG. Changes in activation sequence of embryonic chick atria correlate with developing myocardial architecture. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2006 Oct;291(4):H1646-52. Epub 2006 May 5.
  2. Miller CE, Thompson RP, Bigelow MR, Gittinger G, Trusk TC, Sedmera D. Confocal imaging of the embryonic heart: how deep? Microsc Microanal. 2005 Jun;11(3):216-23.
  3. Sedmera D, Reckova M, Rosengarten C, Torres MI, Gourdie RG, Thompson RP. Optical mapping of electrical activation in the developing heart. Microsc Microanal. 2005 Jun;11(3):209-15.
  4. Dominguez JN, Navarro F, Franco D, Thompson RP, Aranega AE. Temporal and spatial expression pattern of beta1 sodium channel subunit during heart development. Cardiovasc Res. 2005 Mar 1;65(4):842-50.
  5. Ebert SN, Q Rong, S Boe, RP Thompson, A Grinberg, K Pfeifer, K. Targeted insertion of the Cre-recombinase gene at the phenylethanolamine n-methyltransferase locus: a new model for studying the developmental distribution of adrenergic cells. Developmental Dynamics, 231:849-58, 2004.
  6. Sedmera D, M Reckova, MR Bigelow, A Dealmeida, CP Stanley, T Mikawa, RG Gourdie, RP Thompson. Developmental transitions in electrical activation patterns in embryonic chick heart. Anat Rec 280: 1001-9, 2004.
  7. Miller CE, RP Thompson, MR Bigelow, G Gittinger, TC Trusk, D Sedmera. Confocal imaging of the embryonic heart: How deep? Microscopy and Microanalysis 11:1-8, 2005.
  8. Ebert SN, RP Thompson. Embryonic epinephrine synthesis in the rat heart before innervation: association with pacemaking and conduction tissue development. Circ Res 88:117-124, 2001.
  9. Thompson RP, Reckova M, deAlmeida A, Bigelow MR, Stanley CP, Spruill JB, Trusk TC, Sedmera D. The oldest, toughest cells in the heart. Novartis Found Symp. 250:157-74, 2003.
  10. Sedmera D, Reckova M, DeAlmeida A, Coppen SR, Kubalak SW, Gourdie RG, Thompson RP. Spatiotemporal pattern of commitment to slowed proliferation in the embryonic mouse heart indicates progressive differentiation of the cardiac conduction system. Anat Rec. 274A:773-7, 2003.
  11. Reckova M, Rosengarten C, deAlmeida A, Stanley CP, Wessels A, Gourdie RG, Thompson RP, Sedmera D. Hemodynamics is a key epigenetic factor in development of the cardiac conduction system. Circ Res. 93:77-85, 2003.
  12. Sedmera D, Thompson RP, Kolar F. Effect of increased pressure loading on heart growth in neonatal rats. J Mol Cell Cardiol. 35:301-9, 2003.
Content last updated on: 12/13/06  
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