Petronel TULUC
Assoc. Prof., Priv.-Doz. M.Sc, Ph.D.
E-mail:Petronel.Tuluc@uibk.ac.at
Phone: +43-(0) 512-507-58805
ORCID No.: 0000-0003-3660-6138
FG 3500 Multisystem study of phathogenic CACNA1D variants
RESEARCH INTEREST
- Role of CaV calcium channels in endocrine cells hormone release.
- Molecular mechanism of insulin release in health and Diabetes Mellitus.
- Structure and function of CaV channels and their volatage sensing mechanism.
- Computer modelling of membrane excitability.
- Skeletal and cardiac muscle excitation-cont
SHORT CURRICULUM
Education
2018
“Venia docendi” (Habilitation) in Pharmacology.
2004 - 2008
Doctoral studies (PhD) in the laboratory of Dr. Bernhard E. Flucher (University of Innsbruck) studying Voltage Gated Calcium Channels in health and disease.
2001 - 2003
Master of Science in Medical physics – Biophysics at Alexandru I. Cuza University of Iași, Romania.
2002 - 2002
Erasmus scholarship at Institute Européen des Membrane, Montpellier, France studying Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition techniques.
1997 - 2001
Bachlor in Physics/Biophysics at Alexandru I. Cuza University of Iași, Romania.
Academic career history
2018-presently
Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Innsbruck.
2012 - 2018
Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Innsbruck.
2010 - 2012
Univ. Assistant (postdoc), Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Innsbruck.
2008 - 2010
Principal investigator in MUI research grant MFI 2007-417 (Selbstantrag/Fellowship), Medical University Innsbruck.
PAST RESEARCH FUNDING
2025-2030 (€307.488 )
FWF FG35: Multi-system study of pathogenic CACNA1D variants (Co-PI, Speaker N. Ortner)
2023-2027 (€1.441.421)FWF doc.funds: CavX PhD programm – Calcium channels in excitable cells. (Speaker)
2023-2027 (€191.456)
University of Innbruck Co-Funding for the CavX PhD programm – Calcium channels in excitable cells. (Speaker)
2022-2026 (€408.604)
FWF: Role of CaV1.3 Ca2+ channel in pancreatic β-cell function. (PI)
2019-2022 (€405.026)
FWF: Mechanisms responsible for sex difference in insulin release. (PI)
2018-2022 (€1.109.130)
FWF doc.funs: CavX PhD programm – Calcium channels in excitable cells.(Co-PI)
2014-2016 (€19.804)
Forschungsförderungsmitteln der Nachwuchsförderung 2014 der Universität Innsbruck “ Role of CaV1.3 calcium channel modulation in pancreatic hormones. (PI)
2012-2014 (€10.000)
Jubiläumsfonds der Universität Innsbruck “ Role of CaV1.3 calcium channel in pancreatic β-vell survival and insulin release”. (PI)
2011-2015 (€399.913)
FWF: “Expression and function of the skeletal muscle calcium channel splice variant CaV1.1-DE29”. (Co-PI with B.E. Flucher)
2008-2010 (€125.923)
Medical University Innsbruck research grant MFI 2007-417, “The role of calcium channel α2δ-1 subunit in native cardiac myocytes”. (PI)
Total = 3.280.348€; Own part = 1.891.680€.
PEER REVIEW ACTIVITIES
Ad hoc referee for: Diabetes, Nature Communications, Channels, Biophysical Journal, European Journal of Neuroscience, European Journal of Physiology, Translational Psychiatry, PLOS one, Scientific Reports, Cell Reports, J. Gen. Physiology, Toxicology in Vitro, Hungarian Scientific Research Fund, Medical Research Fund-UK, Marsden Fund-NZ.
PUBLICATIONS
40 (32 original, 8 reviews/book chapters). Citations 2268, h-index=25, i10 index 32. Full publication list here.
Most relevant publications: (1-15)
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Pelizzari, S., Heiss, M. C., Fernandez-Quintero, M. L., El Ghaleb, Y., Liedl, K. R., Tuluc, P., Campiglio, M. & Flucher, B. E. Ca(V)1.1 voltage-sensing domain III exclusively controls skeletal muscle excitation-contraction coupling. Nat Commun 15, 7440, doi:10.1038/s41467-024-51809-5 (2024) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39198449
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Jacobo-Piqueras, N., Theiner, T., Geisler, S. M. & Tuluc, P. Molecular mechanism responsible for sex differences in electrical activity of mouse pancreatic beta cells. JCI Insight 9, doi:10.1172/jci.insight.171609 (2024) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/38358819
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Geisler, S. M., Ottaviani, M. M., Jacobo-Piqueras, N., Theiner, T., Mastrolia, V., Guarina, L., Ebner, K., Obermair, G. J., Carbone, E. & Tuluc, P. Deletion of the alpha(2)delta-1 calcium channel subunit increases excitability of mouse chromaffin cells. J Physiol 602, 3793-3814, doi:10.1113/JP285681 (2024) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39004870
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Del Rivero Morfin, P. J., Chavez, D. S., Jayaraman, S., Yang, L., Geisler, S. M., Kochiss, A. L., Tuluc, P., Colecraft, H. M., Marx, S. O., Liu, X. S., Rajadhyaksha, A. M. & Ben-Johny, M. A genetically encoded actuator boosts L-type calcium channel function in diverse physiological settings. Sci Adv 10, eadq3374, doi:10.1126/sciadv.adq3374 (2024)
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Ortner, N. J., Sah, A., Paradiso, E., Shin, J., Stojanovic, S., Hammer, N., Haritonova, M., Hofer, N. T., Marcantoni, A., Guarina, L., Tuluc, P., Theiner, T., Pitterl, F., Ebner, K., Oberacher, H., Carbone, E., Stefanova, N., Ferraguti, F., Singewald, N., Roeper, J. & Striessnig, J. The human channel gating-modifying A749G CACNA1D (Cav1.3) variant induces a neurodevelopmental syndrome-like phenotype in mice. JCI Insight 8, doi:10.1172/jci.insight.162100 (2023) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37698939
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Fernandez-Quintero, M. L., El Ghaleb, Y., Tuluc, P., Campiglio, M., Liedl, K. R. & Flucher, B. E. Structural determinants of voltage-gating properties in calcium channels. Elife 10, doi:10.7554/eLife.64087 (2021) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33783354
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El Ghaleb, Y., Schneeberger, P. E., Fernandez-Quintero, M. L., Geisler, S. M., Pelizzari, S., Polstra, A. M., van Hagen, J. M., Denecke, J., Campiglio, M., Liedl, K. R., Stevens, C. A., Person, R. E., Rentas, S., Marsh, E. D., Conlin, L. K., Tuluc, P., Kutsche, K. & Flucher, B. E. CACNA1I gain-of-function mutations differentially affect channel gating and cause neurodevelopmental disorders. Brain 144, 2092-2106, doi:10.1093/brain/awab101 (2021) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33704440
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Hofer, N. T., Tuluc, P., Ortner, N. J., Nikonishyna, Y. V., Fernandes-Quintero, M. L., Liedl, K. R., Flucher, B. E., Cox, H. & Striessnig, J. Biophysical classification of a CACNA1D de novo mutation as a high-risk mutation for a severe neurodevelopmental disorder. Mol Autism 11, 4, doi:10.1186/s13229-019-0310-4 (2020) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31921405
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Monteleone, S., Lieb, A., Pinggera, A., Negro, G., Fuchs, J. E., Hofer, F., Striessnig, J., Tuluc, P. & Liedl, K. R. Mechanisms Responsible for omega-Pore Currents in Ca(v) Calcium Channel Voltage-Sensing Domains. Biophys J 113, 1485-1495, doi:10.1016/j.bpj.2017.08.010 (2017) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28978442
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Mastrolia, V., Flucher, S. M., Obermair, G. J., Drach, M., Hofer, H., Renstrom, E., Schwartz, A., Striessnig, J., Flucher, B. E. & Tuluc, P. Loss of alpha(2)delta-1 Calcium Channel Subunit Function Increases the Susceptibility for Diabetes. Diabetes 66, 897-907, doi:10.2337/db16-0336 (2017) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28115397
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Tuluc, P., Yarov-Yarovoy, V., Benedetti, B. & Flucher, B. E. Molecular Interactions in the Voltage Sensor Controlling Gating Properties of CaV Calcium Channels. Structure 24, 261-271, doi:10.1016/j.str.2015.11.011 (2016) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26749449
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Ortner, N. J., Bock, G., Vandael, D. H., Mauersberger, R., Draheim, H. J., Gust, R., Carbone, E., Tuluc, P. & Striessnig, J. Pyrimidine-2,4,6-triones are a new class of voltage-gated L-type Ca2+ channel activators. Nat Commun 5, 3897, doi:10.1038/ncomms4897 (2014) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24941892
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Azizan, E. A., Poulsen, H., Tuluc, P., Zhou, J., Clausen, M. V., Lieb, A., Maniero, C., Garg, S., Bochukova, E. G., Zhao, W., Shaikh, L. H., Brighton, C. A., Teo, A. E., Davenport, A. P., Dekkers, T., Tops, B., Kusters, B., Ceral, J., Yeo, G. S., Neogi, S. G., McFarlane, I., Rosenfeld, N., Marass, F., Hadfield, J., Margas, W., Chaggar, K., Solar, M., Deinum, J., Dolphin, A. C., Farooqi, I. S., Striessnig, J., Nissen, P. & Brown, M. J. Somatic mutations in ATP1A1 and CACNA1D underlie a common subtype of adrenal hypertension. Nat Genet 45, 1055-1060, doi:10.1038/ng.2716 (2013) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23913004
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Tuluc, P., Molenda, N., Schlick, B., Obermair, G. J., Flucher, B. E. & Jurkat-Rott, K. A CaV1.1 Ca2+ channel splice variant with high conductance and voltage-sensitivity alters EC coupling in developing skeletal muscle. Biophys J 96, 35-44, doi:10.1016/j.bpj.2008.09.027 (2009) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19134469
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Tuluc, P., Kern, G., Obermair, G. J. & Flucher, B. E. Computer modeling of siRNA knockdown effects indicates an essential role of the Ca2+ channel alpha2delta-1 subunit in cardiac excitation-contraction coupling. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 104, 11091-11096, doi:10.1073/pnas.0700577104 (2007) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17563358
10 most important scientific/scholarly research achievements apart from academic publications
2001: Erasmus Scholarsip – Montpellier, France.
2007: Molecular Cell Biology and Oncology doctoral program award fellowship.
2008: Research Fellowship of the Medical University of Innsbruck.
2010: Early investigator award from The American Biophysical Society and the Biophysical Society of China.
2013: International calcium channel symposium, Symposium Speaker (March 24-29, Krabi Thailand).
2018: 3rd European Calcium Channel Conference, Speaker, May 9-12, Alpbach, Austria.
2021: Austrian Neuroscience association meeting, Symposium Speaker, September 28-20, Salzburg, Austria.
2022: 21st International Symposium on Chromaffin cell Biology, Symposium Speaker (7-12 July, Hamburg, Germany).
2023: Speaker of the FWF-funded CaVX PhD program.
2024: International calcium channel meeting, Symposium Speaker (February 25-March 1, Boracay Philippines).
PRESS RELEASES
2024: Diabetes und Geschlecht DE/EN
2024: Collaboratively exploring vital calcium channels DE/EN
2021: Kalziumkanal: Krankheitsgen für neuronale Entwicklungsstörung EN/DE
2018: Kanalarbeiter im Labor EN/DE
MEMBERSHIPS
American Biophysical Society
European Association for the Stufy of Diabetes
Austrian Biophysical Society
Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck
- Role of CaV calcium channels in endocrine cells hormone release.
- Molecular mechanism of insulin release in health and Diabetes Mellitus.
- Structure and function of CaV channels and their volatage sensing mechanism.
- Computer modelling of membrane excitability.
- Skeletal and cardiac muscle excitation-contraction coupeling