Gaston A. del Pino

I am a Medical Pharmacology professor at the University of Atacama College of Medicine and Chair of the Department of Medicine. I have been running a research lab with four medical students and one technician over the past two years. My research program focuses on two main areas: (1) Regulation of brain monoamine transporters by GPCRs and (2) Regulation of monoamine transporters by fatty acids (short-chain and PUFAs). Our research efforts use molecular biology methods, proteomics-based approaches, and monoamine transporter functional analyses to examine the role of higher-order organization and protein-protein interactions in monoamine homeostasis control, the association with the activation of several GPCRs expressed in monoamine neurons, and its consequences in monoamine transporter related-behavior.

My long-term research interests include studying new regulatory mechanisms of monoamine neurotransmission and how alterations in monoamine homeostasis contribute to human disease (e.g., Parkinson's disease, depression, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and drug addiction). I am particularly interested in learning how different G protein-coupled receptor signaling pathways modulate the function of brain monoamine transporters (DAT, SERT, NET) and how this mechanism influences the development and progression of mental disorders associated with an imbalance in monoamine levels.

Additionally, I have initiated a new investigation related to serotonin transporter (SERT) regulation by G-protein coupled receptors through a mechanism Gβγ-dependent. Thus, we have evidenced that SERT is a new target of Gβγ signaling. Accordingly, we have observed that activation of Gβγ potentiates amphetamine-induced 5-HT efflux in hippocampal slices, and this efflux is inhibited in the presence of a Gβγ inhibitor. Thus, we hypothesized that the interaction between monoamine transporters (DAT, SERT, and NET) and Gβγ promotes monoamine release through DAT, SERT, and NET. Consequently, these studies will define not only the role that Gβγ plays in the addictive properties of amphetamine and its analogs but also the contribution of Gβγ to monoamine homeostasis. My project's long-term goal is to identify novel therapeutic targets that can be used in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression and drug addiction.