Dr. Terence Hebert
Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Associate Member, Department of Medicine
I have a long track record in understanding the biology of GPCRs and G proteins, with an emphasis on oligomerization, signalling complex assembly and localization to the nucleus. Current research focuses on ontogeny, formation and trafficking of GPCR signalling complexes to understand the architecture, wiring and integration of individual GPCR signalling pathways at the cell surface and the nucleus. My work has had multiple impacts. First, my core basic science studies have advanced our understanding of the assembly of GPCR signalling complexes, the presence and function of such complexes on the nuclear membrane and entirely new roles for G proteins as transcriptional regulators. Second, an innovation track has led to the development of numerous new biosensors that capture the signalosomes of GPCRs in different contexts. This has also seen the development of a second type of biosensor that tracks GPCR conformation, which is unique to my lab. Finally, a clinical translation track has evolved including collaborative work on the development of biased allosteric modulators for the PGF2伪 receptor to delay pre-term labour and the testing of GPCR dimers as therapeutic targets in cardiovascular disease. Our new focus on GNB1 mutations, iPSCs and in vivo use of our biosensors has opened productive new vistas for our work in cancer, neurodevelopmental disorders and PD.
- Nuclear G protein signalling- we have identified a novel role for Gbetagamma subunits in the regulation of transcription. We are interested in understanding the role of such events in cardiac fibrosis and how mutations in Gbeta subunits impact this in cancer and a rare neurodevelopmental disease.
- Understanding the impact of GPCR heterodimers on signalling in the cardiovascular system- we focus on beta-adrenergic receptors, angiotensin and prostaglandin receptors.
- Developing biophysical approaches to tracking signalling events in cellulo and in vivo. We design, validate and test resonance energy transfer-based biosensors to track GPCR-dependent signalling events in primary cells and in rat brain.