Rock Levinson

Curriculum vitae

Simon Rock Levinson, Ph.D.

Professor
Department of Physiology and Biophysics
UCD at Fitzsimons. RC-1 North Tower, P18-7103. PO Box 6511, Mail Stop F8307.                            Tel (303) 724-4537. Fax (303) 724-4501.

Email rock.levinson@UCHSC.edu.

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CONTENTS | Education | Appointments | Honors | Service | Publications: | Pre-1990 | Post-1990 |
Education

  • California Institute of Technology, B.S. in Biology (1968) University of Cambridge, Ph.D. (1975). Dissertation: "Studies on excitable membrane proteins", supervised by Prof. R.D. Keynes.
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    Primary Academic Appointments
  • As of 7/91: Professor of Physiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver. 1984-1991: Associate Professor of Physiology, U. Colorado School of Medicine. Tenure conferred 7/87. 1979-1984: Assistant Professor of Physiology, U. Colorado School of Medicine. 1976-1979: Postdoctoral Fellow, Division of Chemistry, Dept. of Chemical Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 1974-1975: Senior Assistant of Research, Physiological Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England
    Other Affiliations:
  • 1991- Professor (Affiliate), Department of Physiology, Colorado State University
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    Scholarships and Personal Awards
  • 1970-1973 Scholar of the Winston Churchill Foundation of the U.S.
  • 1974 Wellcome Trust (U.K.) Scholar
  • 1976-1977 NIH-NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow
  • 1980-1985 NIH Research Career Development Awardee
  • 1983 Excellence in Teaching Award, Spring 1983
  • 1984 Kaiser Permanente Award, Best Basic Science Teacher;
  • Excellence in Teaching Award, Spring 1984;
  • Teacher of the Year (Freshman Class)
  • 1985 Minority Affairs Committee Award for Contributions to Minority Education, Honorable Mention;
  • Excellence in Teaching Award, Spring 1985
  • 1986 Excellence in Teaching Award, Spring 1986
  • 1988 Excellence in Teaching Award, Spring 1988
  • 1989 Excellence in Teaching Award, Spring 1989
  • 1992 Kaiser Permanente Award, Best Basic Science Teacher;
  • 1992 Excellence in Teaching Award;
  • 1993 Chancellors Teaching Award;
  • 1993 Excellence in Teaching Award
  • 1994 Excellence in Teaching Award
  • 1995 Excellence in Teaching Award
  • 1996 Excellence in Teaching Award
  • 1997 Excellence in Teaching Award
  • 1998 Excellence in Teaching Award
  • 1999 Outstanding Teaching Award
  • 1999 Ninth Annual Lawrence Blinks Lecture, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University
  • 2001 Excellence in Teaching Award
    Professional Societies
  • The Biophysical Society
  • Society of General Physiologists
  • International Cell Research Organization
  • The Society for Neuroscience

    Research Interests
  • Molecular mechanisms of ion transport across cell membranes.
  • Role of ion transport mechanisms in neuromuscular development and disease.
  • Membrane protein biosynthesis, targetting, and regulation of expression.
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    Professional Service
  • Permanent Member, Physiology Study Section, NIH (1990-1994), Chairman (1992-1994)
  • President, Faculty Senate, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 2001-
  • Medical Student Honor Council - Faculty Advisor
  • Admissions Committee, Molecular Biology Graduate Program
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    Teaching
  • Physiology 5000- Renal Physiology lectures (10) and laboratory (8x5 hour sessions).
  • Dent 508 (Physiology for Dental Students)- Renal lectures (6).
  • PT 524 (Human Physiology for Physical Therapists) -Renal Lectures (6).
  • Cold Spring Harbor Advanced Course "Molecular Approaches to Ion Channel Biology", co-director.
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  • Publications
  • Levinson, S.R. and Keynes, R.D. (1972) Isolation of acetylcholine receptors by chloroform-methanol extraction: Artifacts arising in the use of Sephadex LH-20 columns. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 288 241-247
  • Levinson, S.R. and Ellory, J.C. (1973) The molecular size of the tetrodotoxin binding component as determined by irradiation inactivation. Nature 245 122-123
  • Levinson, S.R. and Ellory, J.C. (1974) The molecular form of acetylcholinesterase as determined by irradiation inactivation. Biochem. J. 137 123-126
  • Levinson, S.R. (1975) The purity of tritiated tetrodotoxin as determined by bioassay. 337- 348 Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B 270
  • Levinson, S.R. and Meves, H. (1975) The binding of tritiated tetrodotoxin squid giant axons. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B 270 349-352
  • Almers, W. and Levinson, S.R. (1975) Tetrodotoxin binding to normal and depolarized frog muscle, and the conductance of a single sodium channel. J. Physiol. 247 483-509
  • Almers, W., Adrian, R.H., and Levinson, S.R. (1975) Some dielectric properties of the muscle membrane and their possible importance in excitation-contraction coupling. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 264 278-292
  • Tsien, R.Y., Green, D.P.L., Levinson, S.R., Rudy,B., and Sanders, J.K.M. (1975) A pharmacologically-active derivative of tetrodotoxin. Proc. R. Soc. Lond B 191 555- 559
  • Levinson, S.R., Evans, M.H. and Groves, F. (1976) A neurotoxic component from the venom of Blanding's tree snake (Boiga blandingi). Toxicon 14 307-312
  • Haydon, D.A., Hendry, B.M., Levinson, S.R., and Requena, J. (1977) The molecular mechanism of anesthesia. Nature 268 356-358
  • Haydon, D.A., Hendry, B.M., Levinson, S.R., and Requena, J. (1977) Anesthesia by the n- alkanes: A comparative study of nerve impulse blockade and the properties of black lipid bilayer membranes. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 470 17-34
  • Agnew, W.S., Levinson, S.R., Brabson, J.S., and Raftery, M.A. (1978) Purification of the tetrodotoxin binding component associated with the voltage-sensitive sodium channel of Electrophorus electricus electroplax membranes. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 75 2606-2610
  • Levinson, S.R., Curatalo, C.J., Reed, R., and Raftery, M.A. (1980) A rapid and precise assay for tetrodotoxin binding to detergent extracts of excitable tissues. Anal. Biochem. 99 72-84
  • Agnew, W.S., Moore, A.C., Levinson, S.R., and Raftery, M.A. (1980) Identification of a large molecular weight peptide associated with a tetrodotoxin binding protein from the electroplax of Electrophorus electricus. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm. 92 860- 866
  • Levinson, S.R. (1981) Structure and function of the voltage-dependent sodium channel, in The Biochemical Basis of Drug Action, R. Ondarza and T.J. Singer, eds. Elsevier- North Holland, New York, pp 315-331
  • Agnew, W.S., Moore, A.C., Levinson, S.R., and Raftery, M.A.(1981) Biochemical characterization of a voltage-sensitive sodium channel protein from the electroplax of Electrophorus electricus. Nerve Membrane, G. Matsumoto and J. Kotani, eds. U. Tokyo Press, pp 25-44
  • Ellisman, M.H., Agnew, W.S., Miller, J.A., and Levinson, S.R. (1982) Electron microscope visualization of the tetrodotoxin binding protein from Electrophorus electricus. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 79 4461-4465
  • Ellisman, M.H. and Levinson, S.R. (1982) Immunocytochemical localization of sodium channel distributions in the excitable membranes of Electrophorus electricus. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 79 6707-6711
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  • Miller, J.A., Agnew, W.S., and Levinson, S.R. (1983) Principal glycopeptide of the tetrodotoxin/saxitoxin binding protein from Electrophorus electricus: Isolation and partial physical and chemical characterization. Biochemistry 22 462-470
  • Ellisman, M.H., Lindsey, J.D., and Levinson, S.R. (1983) Differentiation of axonal membrane systems, the axolemma, and axoplasmic matrix, in Structure and function in excitable cells, eds. D.C. Chang, I. Tasaki, W.J. Adelman, and H.R. Leuchtag. Plenum Press N.Y., pp3-23
  • Agnew, W.S., Miller, J.A., Ellisman, M.H., Rosenberg, R.L., Tomiko, S.A., and Levinson, S.R.(1983) The voltage-regulated sodium channel from the electroplax of E. electrophorus. Cold Spring Harbor Symp. Quant. Biol. XLVIII 165-179
  • Martin, A.R. and Levinson, S.R. (1985) Contribution of the Na-K pump to membrane potential in familial periodic paralysis. Muscle and Nerve 8 358-362
  • Levinson, S.R., Duch, D.S., and Thornhill, W.S. (1986) Unusual molecular properties of the sodium channel isolated from the electric organ of Electrophorus electricus. Neurol. Neurobiol 20, 375-393
  • Levinson, S.R.(1986) Book Review: "The Physical Chemistry of Membranes" by M.E. Starzak. J. Electrophysiol. Tech. 13 151
  • Kao, C.Y. and Levinson, S.R. (1986), eds. "Tetrodotoxin, Saxitoxin, and the molecular biology of the sodium channel", Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, volume 479
  • Levinson, S.R., Duch, D.S., Urban, B.W., and Recio-Pinto, E. (1986) The sodium channel from Electrophorus electricus. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 479 162-178
  • Levinson, S.R., Karlin, A., Kaback, H.R., Keynes, R.D., and Stevens, C.F. (1986) Future directions in sodium channel research. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 479 439-445
  • Thornhill, W.B. and Levinson, S.R. (1986) Biosynthesis of sodium channels. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 479 356-363
  • Ariyasu, R.G., Deerinck, T.J., Levinson, S.R., and Ellisman, M.H. (1987) The distribution of (Na+ + K+) ATPase and Na channels in skeletal muscle and electroplax. J. Neurocytol. 16 511-522
  • Recio-Pinto,E., Duch, D.S., Levinson, S.R., and Urban, B.W. (1987) Purified and unpurified sodium channels from eel electroplax in planar lipid bilayers. J. Gen. Physiol. 90, 375-395
  • Thornhill, W.B. and Levinson, S.R. (1987) Biosynthesis of electroplax sodium channels in eel electrocytes and Xenopus Oocytes. Biochemistry 26 , 4381-4388
  • Duch, D.S. and Levinson, S.R. (1987) Neurotoxin-modulated uptake of sodium by highly purified and active preparations of the electroplax tetrodotoxin-binding glycopeptide reconstituted into lipid vesicles. J. Membrane Biol. 90, 43-55
  • Duch, D.S. and Levinson, S.R. (1987) Spontaneous opening at zero membrane potential of electroplax sodium channels reconstituted into lipid vesicles. J.Membrane Biol. 90, 57-68
  • Rash, J.E., Johnson, T.J.A., Dinchuk, J.E., Duch, D.S., and Levinson, S.R. (1989) Labeling Intramembrane particles in freeze-fracture replicas. Freeze-fracture studies of membranes, Sek Wen Hui ed., CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton
  • Duch, D.S., Recio-Pinto, E., Frenkel, C., Levinson, S.R., Urban, B.W. (1989) Veratridine modification of the purified sodium channel alpha-polypeptide from eel electroplax. J. Gen. Physiol, 94 813-831
  • Devor, M., Keller, C.H., Deerinck, T.J., Levinson, S.R., and Ellisman, M.H. (1989) Sodium channel accumulation on axolemma of afferent endings in nerve-end neuromas in Apternontus. Neurosci. Lett. 102 149-154
  • Levinson, S.R., Thornhill, W.B., Duch, D.S., Recio-Pinto, E., and Urban, B.W. (1990) The role of nonprotein domains in the function and synthesis of voltage-gated sodium channels. Ion Channels, vol. 2, T. Narashashi, ed., Plenum Publishing Corp., pp33- 64
  • Levinson, S.R. (1990) Book Review: "Biophysical Chemistry of Membrane Functions" by A. Kotyk, K. Janacek, and J. Koryta, Quart. Rev. Biol. 65 72-73
  • England, J.D., Gamboni, F., Levinson, S.R., and Finger, T.E. (1990) Formation of new distributions of sodium channels along demyelinated axons. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) 87 6777-6780
  • Recio-Pinto, E., Duch, D.S., Urban, B.W., Thornhill, W.B., and Levinson, S.R. (1990) Neuraminidase treatment modifies the function of eel sodium channels reconstituted in planar lipid bilayers, Neuron 5 675-684
  • Levinson, S.R., and Thornhill, W.B. (1992), Use of cell-free translation systems and pulse labeling methods to study ion channel biosynthesis and trafficking", Methods in Enzymology 207 :659-670
  • Ivey, S., Thornhill, W.B., and Levinson, S.R. (1991) Monoclonal antibodies raised against posttranslational domains of the electroplax sodium channel. J.Membr. Biol. 121:215-222
  • England, J.D., Gamboni, F., and Levinson, S.R. (1991) Increased numbers of sodium channels form along demyelinated axons. Brain Res. 548: 334-337
  • Duch, D.S., Hernandez, A., Levinson, S.R., and Urban, B.W. (1992) Grayanotoxin-I modified eel electroplax sodium channels: Correlation with batrachotoxin and veratridine modifications, J. Gen Physiol. 100:623-645
  • Ivey, S., Thornhill, W.B., and Levinson, S.R. (1993) Detection of 180kDa proteins in electroplax sodium channel preparations. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 106B:551-556
  • Levinson, S.R. (1993) Book review: Ionic Channels of excitable membranes (by B. Hille). Quart. Rev. Biol.68: 153-154
  • England, J.D., Gamboni, F., Ferguson, M.A., and Levinson, S.R. (1995) Sodium channels accumulate at the tips of injured axons. Muscle & Nerve 17: 593-598
  • Levinson, S.R., (1995) The structure and mechanism of voltage-gated ion ion channels, in Cell Physiology Source Book N. Sperelakis, ed., Academic Press, NY
  • Turner, R.W., Maler, L., Deerinck, Levinson, S.R., and Ellisman, M.H., (1994) TTX-sensitive sodium channels underlie oscillatory discharge in a vertebrate sensory neuron. J. Neuroscience 14: 6453-6471
  • Dugandzija-Novakovic, S., Koszowski, A. G., Levinson, S.R., and Shrager, P. (1995) Clustering of Na+ channels and node of Ranvier formation in remyelinating axons. J. Neuroscience 15:492-503
  • Rehberg, B., Bennett, E., Xiao, Y-H, Levinson, S.R., and Duch, D. S. (1995) Voltage- and frequency-dependent pentobarbital supression of brain and muscle sodium channels expressed in a mammalian cell line. Mol. Pharmacol. 48:89-97
  • Tzoumaka, E-E., Novakovic, S.D., Levinson, S.R., and Shrager, P. (1995) Na+ channel aggregation in remyelinating mouse sciatic axons following transection. Glia 15:188-194
  • England, J.D., Shrager, P., and Levinson, S.R. (1996) Immunocytochemical investigations of the sodium channels along nodal and paranodal portions of demyelinated axons (invited review). Microscopy and Research Technique 34:445-451
  • Wu, B.Q., Wand, L., Kao, C.Y., Levinson, S.R., Yotsu-Yamashita, M., and Yasumoto, T. (1996) 11-oxotetrodotoxin and a specifically-labelled 3H-tetrodotoxin. Toxicon 34:407-416
  • Novakovic, S.D., Deerinck, T.J., Levinson, S.R., Shrager, P., and Ellisman, M.H. (1996) Clusters of axonal Na+ channels adjacent to remyelinating Schwann cells. J. Neurocytol.25:403-412
  • England, J.D., Happel, L.T., Kline, D.G., Gamboni, F., Thouron, C.L., Liu, Z.P., and Levinson, S.R. (1996) Sodium channel accumulation in painful human neuromas. Neurology 47:272-276
  • Vabnick, I., Novakovic, S.D., Levinson, S.R., Schachner, M., and Shrager, P., (1996) The clustering of axonal sodium channels during development of the peripheral nervous system. J. Neurosci. 16:4914-4922
  • Bennett, E., Urcan, M.S., Tinkle, S.S., Koszowski, A.G., and Levinson, S.R. (1997) Contribution of sialic acid to the voltage-depndence of sodium channel gating: A possible electrostatic mechanism. J. Gen. Physiol. 109:327-343
  • Toledo-Aral, J.J., Moss, B.L., He, Z-J., Koszowski, A.G., Whisenand, W., Levinson, S.R., Wolf, J.J., Silos Santiago, I., Halegoua, S., and Mandel, G. (1997) Identification of PN1, a predominant voltage-dependent sodium channel expressed principally in peripheral neurons. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) 94:1527-1532
  • Deerinck, T.J., Levinson, S.R., Bennett, G.V., and Ellisman, M.H. (1997) Clustering of voltage-sensitive sodium channels on axons is independent of direct Schwann cell contact in the dystrophic mouse. J. Neurosci. 17:5080-5088
  • Kaplan, M.R., Meyer-Franke, A., Lambert, S., Bennett, V., Duncan, I.D., Levinson, S.R., and Barres, B.A. (1997) A new role for oligodendrocytes: induction of axonal sodium channel clustering. Nature 386:724-728
  • Levinson, S.R., (1998) The structure and mechanism of voltage-gated ion ion channels, in Cell Physiology Source Book, 2nd edition, N. Sperelakis, ed., Academic Press, NY
  • Vabnick, I., Messing, A., Chiu, S.Y., Levinson, S.R., Schachner, M., Roder, J., Li, C., Novakovic, S., and Shrager, P. (1997), Sodium channel distribution in axons of hypomyelinated and MAG nul mutant mice, J. Neurosci. Res. 50:321-336
  • Rasband, M.N., Trimmer, J.S., Schwarz, T.L., Levinson, S.R., Ellisman, M.H., Schachner, M., and Shrager, P. (1998) Potassium channel distribution, clustering, and function in remyelinating rat axons. J. Neurosci. 18: 36-47
  • Gee, S.H., Madhaven, R., Levinson, S.R., Caldwell, J.H., Sealock, R., and Froehner, S.C. (1998) Interaction of muscle and brain sodium channels with multiple members of the syntrophin family of dystrophin-associated proteins. J. Neurosci. 18: 128-137
  • Koszowski, A.G., Owens, G.C., and Levinson, S.R. (1998) The effect of the mouse mutation claw paw on myelination and nodal frquency in sciatic nerves. J. Neurosci. 18: 5859-5868
  • Novakovic S.D., Levinson S.R.., Schachner M. and Shrager P. (1998) Disruption and reorganization of sodium channels in experimental allergic neuritis. Muscle & Nerve 21:1019-32
  • Gould, H. J., England, J.D.,. Liu, Z.P, and. Levinson, S.R (1998) Rapid sodium channel augmentation in response to inflammation induced by co mplete Freund's adjuvant. Brain Research 802:69-74
  • Vabnick, I., Trimmer, J.S., Schwarz, T.L., Levinson, S.R., Risal, D., and Shrager, P. (1999) Dynamic potassium channel distributions during axonal development prevent aberrant firing patterns. J. Neurosci. 19:747-758
  • Gould, H.J. III, Gould, T.N., Paul, D., England, J.D., Liu, Z.P., Reeb, S.C., and Levinson, S.R. (1999) Development of inflammatory hypersensitivity and augmentation of sodium channels in rat dorsal root ganglia. Brain Research 824:296-299
  • Zanazzi, G., Levinson, S.R., and Salzer, J.L., (1999) Clustering of neuronal sodium channels requires contact with myelinating Schwann cells. J. Neurocytol. 28:295-301
  • Rasband, M.N., Trimmer, J.S., Peles, E., Levinson, S.R., and Shrager, P. (1999) K+ channel distribution and clustering in developing and hypomyelinated axons of the optic nerve . J. Neurocytol. 28:319-332
  • Gould, H.J. III, Gould, T.N., England, J.D., Paul, D., Liu, Z.P., and Levinson, S.R. (2000) A possible role for nerve growth factor in the augmentation of sodium channels in models of chronic pain. Brain Research 854:19-29
  • Levinson, S.R. (1999) Ion channels- basic physiology and mechanism. Channelopathies in Periperal Nervous System, course syllabus, American Association of Electrodiagnostic Medicine, Rochester MN
  • Snell, L.D., Claffey, D.J., Ruth, J.A., Valenzuela, C.F., Cardoso, R., Wang, Z., Levinson, S.R., Sather, W.A., Williamson, A.V., Ingersoll, N.C., Ovchinnikova, L., Bhave, S.V., Hoffman, P.L., and Tabakoff, B. (2000) Novel structure having antagonist actions at both the glycine site of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor and neuronal volatge-sensitive sodium channels: Biochemical, electrophysiological, and behavioral characterization. J. Pharm. Exper. Ther. 292:215-227
  • Weber, P. Bartsch, U., Rasband, M.N., Czaniera, R., Lang, Y., Bluethmann, H., Margolis, R.U., Levinson, S.R., Shrager, P., Montag, D., and Schachner, M. (1999) Mice deficient for tenascin-R display alterations of the extracellular matrix and decreased axonal conduction velocities in the CNS. J. Neurosci. 19:4245-4262
  • Rasband, M.N., Peles, E., Trimmer, J.S., Levinson, S.R., Lux, S.E., and Shrager, P. (1999) Dependence of nodal sodium channel clustering on paranodal axoglial contact in the developing CNS. J. Neurosci. 19:7516-7528
  • Krzemien, D.M., Schaller, K.L., Levinson, S.R., and Caldwell, J.H. (2000) Immunolocalization of sodium channel isoform NaCh6 in the nervous system. J. Comp. Neurol. 420:70-83
  • Caldwell, J.H., Schaller, K.L., Lasher, R.S., Peles, E., and Levinson, S.R. (2000) Sodium channel Nav1.6 is localized at nodes of Ranvier, dendrites, and synapses. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97:5616-5620
  • Shcherbatko, A. D. Davenport, C. M.,. Speh J. C., Levinson, S. R., Mandel, G. and Brehm P. (2001) Progesterone treatment abolishes exogenously expressed ionic currents in Xenopus oocytes. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 280:C677-C688
  • Levinson, S.R. and W.A. Sather, (2001) The structure and mechanism of voltage-gated ion ion channels, in Cell Physiology Source Book, 3rd edition, pp 455-477, N. Sperelakis, ed., Academic Press, NY
  • Boiko T., Rasband, M.N., Levinson, S.R., Caldwell, J.H., Mandel, G.Trimmer, J.S., and Matthews, G. (2001) Compact myelin dictates the differential targeting of two sodium channel isoforms in the same axon. Neuron 30:91-104
  • Kaplan, M.R., Cho, M-H., Ullian, E.M., Isom, L.L., Levinson, S.R., and Barres, B.A., (2001) Differential control of clustering of the sodium channels Nav1.2 and Nav1.6 at developing CNS nodes of Ranvier. Neuron 30:105-119
  • Brown, A.A., Xu, T., Arroyo, E.J., Levinson, S.R., Brophy, P.J., Peles, E., and Scherer, S.S. (2001) The Molecular Organization of the Nodal Region is not Altered in Spontaneously Diabetic BB-Wistar Rats. J. Neurosci. Res. in press
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