UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Dept. of Neurology
University Behavioral Health Care Rm 405
Piscataway, N.J. 09954

Tel: 732 235 3494
FAX: 732 235 5295

zeevaldg@umdnj.edu

The main objective in the laboratory is in understanding the cellular mechanisms underlying cell death in neurodegenerative processes, with a particular emphasis in Parkinson's disease. Areas of investigation include: excitatory amino acid (i.e. glutamate, aspartate) mediated excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, 2nd messenger signaling and metabolism; glycolytic and oxidative metabolism in the central nervous system and elucidation of mechanisms associated with cell death due to perturbations of metabolism from endogenous or environmental sources. Current interest is in understanding the biochemistry and cellular consequences of protein glutathionylation, a mechanism by which proteins have glutathione covalently attached to cysteine residues. Biochemical, cell culture, molecular biology and proteomic approaches are used to address the issue.

For complete list: PubMed

Gluck, M., Ehrhart, J., Jayatilleke, E. and Zeevalk, G.D. (2002) Inhibition of brain mitochondrial respiration by dopamine: involvement of H2O2 and hydroxyl radicals but not glutathione-protein mixed disulfides. J. Neurochem. 82:66-74.

Ehrhart, J., Gluck, M. and Zeevalk, G.D., (2002) Functional glutaredoxin (thioltransferase activity in brain and liver mitochondria. Parkinsonism and Related Disorders 8: 395-400.

Ehrhart, J. and Zeevalk, G.D. (2003) Cooperative interaction between ascorbate and glutathione during mitochondrial impairment in mesencephalic cultures.J. Neurochem. 86 (6): 1487-1497.

Zeevalk, G.D., Bernard, L.P. and Ehrhart, J. (2003) Glutathione and ascorbate: Role in protein- glutathione-mixed disulfide formation during oxidative stress and potential relevance to Parkinson's disease. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 991: 342-345.

Alfinito, P.D., Wang, S-P., Manzino,L., Zeevalk, G.D., and Sonsalla, P.K.. (2003) Adenosine A1 and A2a Receptor-Mediated protection of dopaminergic and GABAergic neurons against mitochondrial inhibition. J. Neurosci. 23: 10982-10987.

Gluck, M.R. and Zeevalk, G.D. (2004) Inhibition of brain mitochondrial respiration by dopamine and its metabolites: implications for Parkinson’s disease and catechalamine-associated diseases. J. Neurochem.. 91: 788-795.