Structure, function and gating regulation of Hemichannels and Gap Junction. Mechanism of Cx26 mutations in Deafness. Role of Hemichannels in the sensory transduction mechanisms in the organ of Corti. Role of hemichannels in neural plasticity.

Advising of pre-graduate theses

1.- Rodrigo Acuña. Determinación del dominio de transmembrana implicado en la homo-oligomerización de conexinas 43 y 26 mediante la técnica de TOXCAT. Bioquímico, PUCV. 2007
2.- Vania Figueroa. Efectos del ácido retinoico y el factor neurotrófico ciliar sobre el patrón de expresión de connexina43 y sus consecuencias en la diferenciación neuronal de células P19. Bioquímico, PUCV. 2007
3.- Carla Pacheco. Regulación de la neurogénesis en células del epitelio olfatorio dependiente de la vía de comunicación intercelular mediada por Uniones en Hendidura. Bioquímico, PUCV. 2007
4.- Daniela Correa. Papel del C terminal en la formación y permeabilidad/selectividad de Uniones en Hendidura de Cx43 y Cx45. Bioquímico, PUCV. 2007
5.- Oscar Jara. Efectos de mutaciones de la Conexina 26, causantes de sordera genética, sobre el tráfico y formación de Uniones de Hendidura. Bioquímico, PUCV. 2010
7.- Catherine Estay. Papel de Cx43 en el desplazamiento de Fibroblastos embrionarios. Licenciatura en Biología/Química-UV. 2011.
8.- Carolina Flores. Rol de hemicanales de Panexina 1 en la migración cellular de fibroblastos dérmicos. Licenciatura en Biología/Química-UV. 2013
9.- Paula Mujica. Mechanism of syndromic mutations located in the extracellular loop of Cx26. Undergraduate Biochemistry degree PUCV. 2015 ?
10.- Joel Novoa. Ectopic expression of wild type or deafness mutant Cx26 on formation and functional state of Gap Junction and Hemichannels. Licenciate in Biology-UV.

Advising of post-graduate theses

1.- Jorge Castex. Papel del carboxilo terminal en la funcionalidad y permeabilidad de hemicanales de Cx43. (Master degree in Neuroscience, UV)
2.- Miguel Fuentes. Papel de la comunicación intercelular mediada por uniones en hendidura y hemicanales durante el proceso de diferenciación de células madres de piel aulta. (Master degree in Neuroscience, UV)
3.- Ricardo Ceriani. Caracterización de la mutante Cx26N14Y y su efecto en la formación y funcionalidad de Uniones en Hendidura y Hemicanales formados por las connexinas 26 y 43 (Master degree in Neuroscience, UV)
4.- Jaime Maripillán. Papel del citosqueleto en el ensamblaje y tráfico de Hemicanales y Uniones en Hendidura. (Master degree in Neuroscience, UV)
5.- Carolina Flores. Regulación de la plasticidad neuronal estructural por Panx1. (Master degree in Neuroscience, UV).
6.- Vania Figueroa. Role of connexin 26 hemichannels in the regulation of intracellular calcium signal induced by activation of purinergic receptors, under physiological and pathological conditions. (PhD. In Neuroscience; Co-Advisor). 2013
7.- Arlek Gonzalez. Dynamin-2 regulates exocytosis in adrenal chromaffin cells through a mechanism that involves actin polymerization (PhD. In Neuroscience. Co-Advisor). 2013.
8.- Isaac Garcia. Role of the Amino Terminus of Cx26 in the regulation of channel oligomerization and function. (PhD. In Neuroscience). 2014
9.- Oscar Jara. Regulation of gap junction channels and hemichannels by actin cytoskeleton and RhoA. (PhD. In Neuroscience)
10.- Elvira Cortese. Mechanism of ototoxicity mediated by Panx1. (Master degree in Neuroscience)
11.- Ana Abbot. Pathological mechanisms of aberrant hetermeric channels Cx26S17F/Cx30 in syndromic deafness. (Ph in Neuroscience).

Some Scientific Meeting and Symposium presentations
International Scientific Meetings
1.- I.E Garcia, R. Ceriani, O. Jara, J. Maripillán, A.D. Martínez. Syndromic and non-syndromic deafness mutations in the Cx26 aminoterminus differentially alter the function of hemichannels and gap junctions. ASCB meeting. Philadelphia, USA, 2010.
2.- Paola. Soto, Paola Fernández, Maximiliano Rovegno, Agustín D. Martínez, Bruno Cisternas, Felipe Court, Alexis Vielma, Oliver Schmachtenberg and Juan C. Sáez. Novel inter-oligodendrocyte communication pathway. International Gap Junction Conference, Ghent, Belgica, 2011.
3.- Andrés Canales, Jaime Maripillán, Oscar Jara, David Gómez, Patricio Orio, Agustín D. Martínez. MODELING THE DYNAMICS OF GAP-JUNCTION PLAQUE ASSEMBLY THROUGH A SELF-ORGANIZING MECHANISM. International Gap Junction Conference, Ghent, Belgica, 2011.
4.- Oscar Jara, Isaac García, Jaime Maripillán, Juan Carlos Sáez, Vania Figueroa, Viviana M. Berthoud, Eric C. Beyer and Agustín D. Martínez. DEAFNESS-ASSOCIATED CX26 MUTANTS DEMONSTRATE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FIRST TRANSMEMBRANE DOMAIN IN CONNEXIN OLIGOMERIZATION AND CHANNEL FUNCTION. International Gap Junction Conference, Ghent, Belgica, 2011.
5.- V. Figueroa, O. Jara, A.D. Martínez, M. Fiori, G. Altenberg, and J.C. Sáez. Connexin Hemichannels in the purinergic signaling and their regulation in ototoxicity. International Gap Junction Conference, Ghent, Belgica, 2011.
6.- A.D. Martínez. Mutations in Cx26 and its role in genetic hearing loss. Summer course for postgraduate students: PROGRESS IN NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS: BASIC AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH. U de Concepción. Concepción, 2011.
7.- A.D. Martínez. How to learn to play the Tsuzumi without becoming deaf in the try ? NZ National eye centre, Seminar Series, The University of Auckland, NZ, 2012.
8.- I.E. García, R. Ceriani, J. Maripillán, O. Jara, A.D. Martínez. Gain of function of hemichannels produced by aberrant interactions between Cx43 and deafness-associated Cx26. International Gap Junction Conference 2013, USA, Charleston, 2013.
9.- Isaac E. García , Mauricio Retamal , Oscar Jara , Carlos Gonzalez and Agustín D. Martínez. ¿IS THE GAIN OF HEMICHANNEL ACTIVITY A COMMON FEATURE SHARED BY Cx26 SYNDROMIC DEAFNESS MUTANTS?. Biophysical Society, USA, 2014. ?
10.- Bernardo Pinto, Amaury Pupo, Isaac García, Agustín D Martínez, Ramón Latorre, Carlos González. The first transmembrane segment of connexins and voltage-dependent gating regulation of hemichannels. International Gap Junction Conference, Valparaíso, 2015.
11.- Pavel Prado, Oscar Jara, Cristián Aedo, Donald Brown, Álvaro Ardiles, Daphne Marfull, Virginia Olivares, Juan C Saéz, Paul Delano, Agustín D. Martínez. Lack of Pannexin 1 alters permeability of cochlear supporting cells and induces sensorineural hearing loss. International Gap Junction Conference, Valparaíso, 2015.
12.- Oscar Jara, Jaime Maripillán, Fanny Momboisse, Isaac Garcia, Bernardo Pinto, Carlos González, Ana María Cárdenas, Agustín D Martínez. Regulation of gap junction channels and hemichannels by actin cytoskeleton and RhoA. International Gap Junction Conference, Valparaíso, 2015.
13.- Isaac Garcia, Carlos González, Jorge Contreras, Agustín D Martínez. Slow deactivation kinetics of hyperactive heteromeric hemichannels formed by Cx26 N-terminus KID-associated mutants and Cx43. International Gap Junction Conference, Valparaíso, 2015.
14.- Carolina Flores, Jacqueline Vasquéz, Jaime Maripillán, Tomás Egaña, Donald Brown, Agustín D Martínez. Pannexin and purinergic signaling in fibroblast migration and dermal regeneration. International Gap Junction Conference, Valparaíso, 2015.
15.- J. Gonzalez-Casanova, D. Rojas-Gomez, A.D. Martinez, S. Dhein. Angiotensin (1-7) induces adipogenesis and down regulation of Cx43 in 3T3-L1 cell line; possible role of p38 and focal adhesion kinase. International Gap Junction Conference, Valparaíso, 2015.
16.- Fanny Momboisse, María J Olivares, Ximena Baéz, María J Guerra, Carolina Flores-Muñoz, Juan C Saez, Agustín D Martínez, Ana M Cárdenas. Pannexin 1 channels: a new actor in the regulation of catecholamine release from adrenal chromaffin cells. International Gap Junction Conference, Valparaíso, 2015.
17.- Paula Mujica, Oscar Jara, Jaime Maripillan, Agustín D. Martínez. Mechanism of deafness mutations associated to the first extracellular loop of Cx26 unveils a new cis interaction properties between connexins. International Gap Junction Conference, Valparaíso, 2015.
18.- Claudia Pareja, Tomas Perez-Acle, Yerko Escalona, Jose Antonio Garate, Alejandro Bernardin, Agustín D. Martínez, Isaac Garcia, Juan C Saez, Raul Araya, Tien Huynh, Seung-gu Khan, Ruhong Zhou. Is there a voltage-controlled hydraulic gating mechanism in human connexin hemichannels?. International Gap Junction Conference, Valparaíso, 2015.
19.- D. Rojas-Gomez, J. Gonzalez-Casanova, S. Dhein, A.D. Martínez. Inhibition of 3T3-L1 adipogenesis by Angiotensin II: differential regulation of the gap junction protein Connexin 43 and ?-catenin signaling. International Gap Junction Conference, Valparaíso, 2015.

National Scientific Meetings
1.- I.E. Garcia, R. Ceriani, O. Jara, J. Maripillan, A. Canales, J.C. Saez, A.D. Martinez. Mutations in the N terminus of the Connexin26 and its role in genetic hearing loss. Reunion Anual Sociedad de Bilogia Celular de Chile / Pucon, 2010.
2.- O. Jara, I. García, J. Maripillan, A. Canales, J.C. Sáez, A.D. Martínez. ALTERED PERMEABILITY OF GAP JUNCTION CHANNELS AND HEMICHANNELS FORMED BY MUTANTS OF Cx26 RELATED TO NON-SYNDROMIC DEAFNESS. Reunion Anual Sociedad de Bilogia Celular de Chile / Pucon, 2010.
3.- J. Castex, O. Jara, J. Maripillán, C. Estay, A.D. Martínez. Regulation of hemichannel permeability by the Carboxyl Terminal domain of Cx43. Reunion Anual Sociedad de Bilogia Celular de Chile / Pucon, 2010.
4.- A. Canales, D. Gomez, J. Maripillan, O. Jara, I. García, P. Orio, A.D. Martinez. Modeling the dynamic of Gap-junction plaque assembling through a self-organizing mechanism. Sociedad de Bilogia Celular de Chile / Pucon, 2010.
5.- Agustín D. Martínez. Deafness-associated Cx26 mutants demonstrate the importance of the first transmembrane domain in connexin oligomerization and channel function. 40 years of ion channels. A marriage of convenience. Valparaíso, 2011.
6.- Agustín D. Martínez. Connexin oligomerization and trafficking. International Workshop Structure and function of connexin and pannexin channels. Valparaíso, 2012.
7.- Agustín D. Martínez. Is syndromic deafness a hemichannel disease?. International Workshop Structure and function of connexin and pannexin channels. Valparaíso, 2012.
8.- Agustín D. Martínez. ¿ Como conversan las células? Charla Explora, Villa Alemana, 2012.
9.- O. Jara, J. Maripillán, I.E. Garcia, J. Ewer, A.D. Martinez. ACTIN CYTOSKELETON REGULATION OF Cx26 AND Cx43 HEMICHANNELS. Reunión anual de la Sociedad de Biología Celular de Chile 2013. Puerto Varas, 2013
10.- C. Flores, C. Estay, T. Egaña, D. Brown, A.D. Martínez. ROLE OF HEMICHANNELS IN FIBROBLAST MIGRATION. Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Chilena de Biología Celular, Puerto Varas, 2013.
11.- A.O. Ardiles, C. Flores, J. Ahumada, J.C. Sáez, M. Fuenzalida, A.D. Martínez. Loss of pannexin 1 modifies the threshold for synaptic plasticity induction in hippocampus. Reunión anual de la Sociedad de Biología Celular de Chile. Puerto Varas, 2013.
12.- Agustín D. Martínez. How to learn to play the Tsuzumi without becoming deaf in the try. VIII Congreso Iberoamericano de Biofísica - IX Reunión Anual Sociedad Chilena de Neurociencia. Valparaíso, 2013.
13.- Agustín D. Martínez. Aberrant connexin oligomerization in genetic deafness. CHILEAN SOCIETY FOR CELL BIOLOGY XXVII ANNUAL MEETING. Puerto Varas, 2013.
14.- A. Ardiles, C. Flores-Muñoz, A.D. Martínez. Pannexin 1 regulates the NMDA receptors trafficking through the modification of actin. Workshop “Current advances in membrane trafficking: Implications for polarity and diseases” organizado por EMBO, Puerto Natales, 2014. ?
15.- Bernardo Pinto, David Baez-Nieto, Agustín D. Martínez, Ramón Latorre, Carlos González. Dentification of Residues Involved in Cx26 Hemichannel Slow Gating. X Annual Meeting. Sociedad Chilena de Neurociencia. Valdivia, 2014. ?
16.- A. Ardiles, C. Flores-Muñoz, P. Muñoz, A.D. Martínez. PANNEXIN 1 REGULATES BIDIRECTIONAL HIPPOCAMPAL SYNAPTIC PLASTICITY IN ADULT MICE. X Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Chilena de Neurociencia. Valdivia, 2014. ?
17.- P. Mujica, O. Jara, J. Maripillán, A.D. Martínez. Mechanism of deafness mutations associated to the first extracellular loop of Cx26 unveils a new interaction property between connexins. Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Chilena de Neurociencia. Valdivia, 2014. ?
18.- P. Prado-Gutierrez, D. Marfull, D. Brown, A. Ardiles, C. Flores, V. Olivares, A.D. Martínez. Lack of pannexin 1 in the murine cochlea results in sensorineural hearing loss. Reunión Anual de la Sociedad Chilena de Neurociencia, Valdivia, 2014. ?

Organization of International and National Workshops, Symposium and Congress
1.- International Workshop. Structure and function of connexin and pannexin channels. Valparaíso, 2012.
2.- International Symposium. 40 years of ion channels. A marriage of convenience. Valparaíso, 2011.
3.- Serie de seminarios y cursos Proyecto Mecesup 0804. Facultad de Ciencias / Auditorio de Farmacia, Valparaíso, 2010.
4.- Symposium: Role and regulation of channels and hemichannels formed by connexins or pannexins in the nervous system. IX Annual meeting of the Chilean Society of Neuroscience & VIII Ibero American Congress of Biophysics. Valparaíso, 2013.
5.- Symposium: “Cell Membrane Channels Made by Connexins or Pannexins are Key Players in Genetic and Acquired Diseases”. CHILEAN SOCIETY FOR CELL BIOLOGY XXVII ANNUAL MEETING. Puerto Varas, 2013.
6.- International workshop. Biophysic of Hemichannel and Gap Junction Channels: A Theoretical and Practical Training. PUC-Santiago/UV-Valparaíso 2015 (24 a 27 de Marzo).
7.- International Gap Junction Conference 2015. Valparaíso, 2015 (http://cinv.uv.cl/igjc2015/). Este es un evento de envergadura mayor, la principal reunión Internacional sobre las “Gap Junctions” que se hace cada dos años alternado entre USA y Europa, por lo que es la primera vez que se hace en el hemisferio sur. Al evento asistieron cerca de 200 investigadores mayormente extranjeros. La postulación para la realización de este congreso en Chile se presentó en la conferencia del 2012 en la ciudad de Charleston donde la mayoría de los asistentes eligió la opción de Valparaíso por sobre las opciones de Europa y Asia, constituyéndose ello en un gran logro y reconocimiento para nuestro grupo.