Mark Wightman leads the way in brain research

"Nobody can believe that I have spent my life on one molecule, dopamine," Dr. R. Mark Wightman recently said. Dr. Wightman is a chaired professor at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research has led the way in using electrochemistry to study the neurochemistry and neurobiology of the brain. He received his BA with honors from Erskine College in South Carolina in 1968 and his PhD in Analytical Chemistry from the University of North Carolina in 1974. After postdoctoral training at the University of Kansas with Ralph Adams, he joined the faculty of Indiana University until he went back to UNC in 1989.

Dr. Wightman's recent honors include a Jacob Javits Neuroscience Investigator award from the NIH (1989 to 1995); the Chemical Instrumentation Award from the ACS in 1994; and from the Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry, the David Grahame Award in 1995 and the Reilley Award in 1996. He recently was awarded the Electrochemistry Award of the Analytical Division of the ACS in 2001.

He has served as a chair for the Gordon Research Conference in 1992. He is on the editorial board of Biosensors & Bioelectronics (1988 to present). He has authored more than 170 scientific publications in the areas of dopamine neurotransmission, single cell chemical analysis, and electrochemistry.

His lab at UNC focuses on the use of electrochemical microelectrode techniques for (1) the measurement of chemical messengers released from the cells in tissue or from individual cells in culture, including dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and serotonin and (2) the measurement of brain tissue metabolic substances such as oxygen, ascorbate, and uric acid.

The lab employs in vivo voltammetry to measure the real-time kinetics of dopamine release and uptake during stimulation. Dr. Wightman and his co-workers use the Cypress 66-EI400 to perform much of their work.

Wightman Citations
Here is a partial list of Dr. Wightman's publications:

"Rapid and Selective Cyclic Voltammetric Measurements of Epinephrine and Norepinephrine as a Method to Measure Secretion from Single Bovine Adrenal Medullary Cells. " Pihel, Karin, Timothy J. Schroeder, and R. Mark Wightman, Analytical Chemistry, 1994, 66(24), Dec. 15, 1994, 4532-4536.

"Efflux of Dopamine from Synaptic C/eft in the Nucleus Accumbens of the Rat Brain. " Garris, Paul A., Edward L. Ciolkowski, Paolo Pastore, and R. Mark Wightman, The Journal of Neuroscience, October 1994, 14(10) 6084-6097.

"Strategies for Low Detection Limit Measurements with Cyclic Voltammetry. " Widemann, Donna J., Kirk T. Kawagoe, RT Kennedy, Edward L. Ciolkowski, and R. Mark Wightman, Analytical Chemistry, 63(24), Dec 15, 1991, 2965-2970.

"Fast Scan Cyclic Voltammetry of 5-Hydroxytryptamine. " Jackson, Brad P., Susanne M Dietz, R. Mark Wightman, Analytical Chemistry, 67(6), March 15, 1995, 1115-1120.

"Fast Scan Cyclic Voltammetry of 5-Hydroxytryptamine." Jackson, Brad P., Susanne M Dietz, R. Mark Wightman, Analytical Chemistry, 67(6), March 15, 1995, 1115-1120.

"Hyperlocomotion and indifference to cocaine and amphetamine in mice lacking the dopamine transporter. " Giros, Bruno, Mohamed Jaber, Sara R. Jones, R. Mark Wightman, and Mark G. Caron. Nature, 379, 15 Feb 1996, 606-612.

"Dopamine neuronal transport kinetics and effects of amphetamine." S. R. Jones, J. Joseph, L. Barak, M. G. Caron and R. M. Wightman, J. Neurochem., 73, 2406-2414 (1999).

"Dopamine release and uptake are greater in female than male rat striatum as measured by fast cyclic voltammetry." Q.D. Walker, M.B. Rooney, R.M. Wightman and C.M. Kuhn, Neurosci., 95, 1061-1070 (1999).

"Differential quantal release of Histamine and 5-Hydroxytryptamine from mast cells of vesicular monoamine transporter 2 knockout mice." E.R. Travis, Y-M. Wang, D.J. Michael, M.G. Caron, and R.M. Wightman, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 97, 162-167 (2000).

"Real-time amperometric measurements of zeptomole quantities of dopamine released from neurons." S.E. Hochstetler, M. Puopolo, S. Gustincich, E. Raviola, and R.M. Wightman, Anal. Chem., 72, 489-496 (2000).

"Extracellular dopamine dynamics in rat caudate-putamen during experimenter-delivered and intracranial self-stimulation." M.R. Kilpatrick, M.B. Rooney, D.J. Michael, and R.M. Wightman, Neurosci., 96, 697-706 (2000).

"Correlation between behavior and extracellular dopamine levels in rat striatum: Comparison of Microdialysis and Fast-Scan cyclic voltammetry." E. A. Budygin, M.R. Kilpatrick, R.R. Gainetdinov, and R.M. Wightman, Neurosci. Let., 281, 9-12 (2000).

"Vesicular Ca²⁺ participates in the catalysis of exocytosis." M.L. Mundorf, K.P. Troyer, S.E. Hochstetler, J.A. Near, and R.M. Wightman, J. Biol. Chem., 275, 9136-9142 (2000).

"Sub-second adsorption and desorption of dopamine at carbon-fiber microelectrodes." B.D. Bath, D.J. Michael, B.J. Trafton, J.D. Joseph, P.L. Runnels, and R.M. Wightman. Anal. Chem.,72, 5994-6002 (2000).

"Effect of acute ethanol on striatal dopamine neurotransmission in ambulatory rats." E.A. Budygin, P. E.M. Phillips, D.L. Robinson, A.P. Kennedy, R.R. Gainetdinov, and R.M. Wightman. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 297, 27-34 (2001).

"Extrasynaptic release of dopamine in a retinal neuron: Activity-dependence and transmitter modulation." M. Puopolo, S.E. Hochstetler, S. Gustincich, R.M. Wightman, and E. Raviola, Neuron, 30, 211-225, (2001).

"Sub-second changes in accumbal dopamine during sexual behavior in male rats", D. L. Robinson, P. E.M. Phillips, E. A. Budygin, B. J. Trafton, P. A. Garris and R. M. Wightman, Neuroreport, 12, 2549-2552 (2001).

"Catecholamine release and uptake in the mouse prefrontal cortex." M.L. Mundorf, J.D. Joseph, C.M. Austin, M.G. Caron, and R.M. Wightman, J. Neurochem., 79, 130-142 (2001).

"Dopamine adsorption at surface modified carbon-fiber electrodes." B.D. Bath, H.B. Martin, R.M. Wightman, and M.R. Anderson, Langmuir, 17, 7032-7039 (2001).

"Response times of carbon fiber microelectrodes to dynamic changes in catecholamine concentration." B. J. Venton, K.P. Troyer, and R. M. Wightman, Anal. Chem., 74, 539-546 (2002).

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