Mendell Rimer, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics
Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience (TAMU/TAMHSC)

Phone:979-862-8423
Fax:979-845-0790
Email: MJRimer@medicine.tamhsc.edu

Education

Ph.D., Molecular and Cell Biology. Minor in Pharmacology, University of Maryland at Baltimore

Research Interests

Research in the Rimer lab centers on the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the formation and maintenence of the connections between nerve cells and their targets, a.k.a the synapses.  Because of its simplicity and experimental accessability we have used to vertebrate neuromuscular synapse as our model system.  In addition I am particularly interested in diseases that effect the neuromuscular junction (e.g. spinal muscular atrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), but also in diseases that effect that central nervous system synapse (e.g. schizophrenia).  We address these problems using state-of-the-art mouse molecular genetic techniques in combination with standard molecular, cellular, and immunological approaches.

I also participate as a member of the 'training faculty' for the Texas Consortium in Behavioral Neuroscience

I participate in graduate training as a member of the faculty in the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience.

Selected Recent Publications

§ - denotes corresponding author

Vock, VM, Ponomareva, ON and Rimer, M.§ (2008) "Evidence for muscle-dependent neuromuscular synaptic site determination in mammals". J.Neurosci. 28:3123-3130.

Kang, H, Tian, L, Son, YJ, Zuo, Y, Kopp, D, Love, F, Hayworth, C, Trachtenberg, J, Mikesh, M, Sutton, L, Ponomareva, O, Mignone, J, Enikolopov, G, Rimer, M and Thompson, W.§ (2007) "Regulation of the Intermediate Filament Protein Nestin at Rodent Neuromuscular Junctions by Innervation and Activity". J. Neurosci. 27: 5948-5957.

Rimer, M. § (2007) "Neuregulins at the Neuromuscular Synapse: Past, Present, and Future". J. Neurosci. Res. 85: 1827-1833.

Ponomareva, ON, Fischer, TJ, Lai, C and Rimer, M.§ (2006) "Schwann Cell-derived Neuregulin-2alpha Can Function as a Cell-attached Activator of Muscle Acetylcholine Receptor Expression". Glia 54: 630-637.

Hayworth, CR, Moody, SE, Chodosh, LA, Krieg, PA, Rimer, M.§+ and Thompson, WJ. §+. (2006) "Inducible Activation of Neuregulin Signaling in Mouse Schwann Cells In Vivo Mimics Responses to Denervation". J. Neurosci. 26: 6873-6884. +Co-corresponding authors.

Ponomareva, ON, Ma, H, Vock, VM, Ellerton, EL, Moody, SE, Dakour, R, Chodosh, LA and Rimer, M.§ (2006) "Defective Neuromuscular Synaptogenesis in Mice Expressing Constitutively Active ErbB2 in Skeletal Muscle Fibers". Mol. Cell. Neurosci. 31: 334-345. Evaluated by Faculty of 1000 Biology. (http://www.f1000biology.com/article/16278083/evaluation).

Ponomareva, ON, Ma, H, Dakour, R, Raabe, TD, Lai, C and Rimer, M.§ (2005) "Stimulation of Acetylcholine Receptor Transcription by Neuregulin-2 Requires an N-Box Response Element and Is Regulated by Alternative Splicing". Neuroscience 134: 495-503.

Rimer, M. §, Barrett, DW, Maldonado, MA, Vock, VM and Gonzalez-Lima, F. (2005) "Neuregulin-1 Ig-like Domain Mutant Mice: Clozapine Sensitivity and Impaired Latent Inhibition". Neuroreport 16: 271-275.

Rimer, M. §, Prieto, AL, Weber, JL, Colasante, C, Ponomareva, O, Fromm, L, Schwab, MH, Lai, C and Burden, SJ. (2004) "Neuregulin-2 Is Synthesized by Motor Neurons and Terminal Schwann Cells and Activates Acetylcholine Receptor Transcription in Muscle Cells Expressing ErbB4". Mol. Cell. Neurosci. 26:271-281.

Rimer, M, Cohen, I, Lømo, T, Burden, SJ and McMahan, UJ. (1998) "Neuregulins and erbB Receptors at Neuromuscular Junctions and at Agrin-Induced Postsynaptic-like Apparatus in Skeletal Muscle". Mol. Cell. Neurosci. 12: 1-15.

Rimer, M, Mathiesen, I, Lømo, T and McMahan, UJ. (1997) "gamma-AChR/epsilon-AChR Switch at Agrin-Induced Postsynaptic-like Apparatus in Skeletal Muscle". Mol. Cell. Neurosci. 9: 254-263.

Cohen, I*, Rimer, M*, Lømo, T and McMahan, UJ. (1997) "Agrin-Induced Postsynaptic-like Apparatus in Skeletal Muscle Fibers In Vivo". Mol. Cell. Neurosci. 9: 237-253. *These authors contributed equally to this work.

Randall, WR, Rimer, M and Gough, NR. (1994) "Cloning and Analysis of Chicken Acetylcholinesterase Transcripts from Muscle and Brain". Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1218: 453-456.

Former Lab Members

Elaine L. Ellerton, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas Austin

Vita M. Vock, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia Medical School

Olga Ponomareva, Research Technician, Department of Neurobiology, University of Texas Austin

Ramzi Dakour, MD, former undergraduate

Josh Martinez, BS, former undergraduate