Couchman group emeritus

Interactions between cells and tissues and their surroundings are essential at all phases of multicellular animal development, homeostasis and tissue repair, and are often altered in disease. The goals of the Couchman group was to understand the functions of the cell surface receptors known as syndecans. They are implicated in a variety of diseases, including some cancers and cardiovascular disease. By dissecting their roles at a molecular level, the group worked to discover new potential for intervention.

For many years it was unclear how syndecans contributed to the regulation of cell behavior. A major breakthrough for the Couchman group, came with the discovery that these receptors controlled cytoplasmic calcium levels through a group of channels known as TRPCs. The group demonstrated the specific regulation not only by two mammalian syndecans but also the single syndecan of Caenorhabditis elegans, a powerful invertebrate genetic model. This in turn led to the information that calcium regulation by syndecans is an evolutionarily conserved function. Interactions with collaborators at The University of Oslo further revealed that the syndecan-TRPC axis may be intrinsic to a common form of heart failure.