Legier Rojas

Associate Professor

Ph.D. 1987, University of Puerto Rico

Academic Department(s)

Department of Physiology

Research Area

Neurobiology

Research Interest

Understand the mechanism by which thyroids hormones

induces non-genomic action in the pre- and post-synaptic

region in a developmental tissue,

The effects of cholesterol and lipid exposed mutations on

the Torpedo and muscle-type AChR channel function

Publications

Rojas LV, Nieves K, Suarez E, Ortiz AP, Rivera A, Romaguera J. Thyroid-stimulating hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone status in Hispanic women during the menopause transition. Ethn Dis. 2008 Spring;18(2 Suppl 2):S2-230-4.

Guzmán GR, Ortiz-Acevedo A, Ricardo A, Rojas LV, Lasalde-Dominicci JA.

The polarity of lipid-exposed residues contributes to the functional differences between Torpedo and muscle-type nicotinic receptors. J Membr Biol. 2006;214(3):131-8.

Navedo MF, Lasalde-Dominicci JA, Báez-Pagán CA, Díaz-Pérez L, Rojas LV, Maselli RA, Staub J, Schott K, Zayas R, Gomez CM.  Novel beta subunit mutation causes a slow-channel syndrome by enhancing activation and decreasing the rate of agonist dissociation. Mol Cell Neurosci. 2006;32(1-2):82-90.

Lopez-Hernandez GY, Sanchez-Padilla J, Ortiz-Acevedo A, Lizardi-Ortiz J, Salas-Vincenty J, Rojas LV, Lasalde-Dominicci JA.  Nicotine-induced up-regulation and desensitization of alpha4beta2 neuronal nicotinic receptors depend on subunit ratio.  J Biol Chem. 279:38007-15, 2004.

Santiago J, Guzman GR, Torruellas K, Rojas LV, Lasalde-Dominicci JA.  Tryptophan scanning mutagenesis in the TM3 domain of the Torpedo californica acetylcholine receptor beta subunit reveals an alpha-helical structure.  Biochemistry. 43:10064-70, 2004.

Contact Information

Universidad Central del Caribe

P.O. Box 60327

Bayamón, PR 00960-6032

Tel  (787) 798-3001 ext. 2056

e-mail: lrojas@uccaribe.edu