Description of theme 1
Description of theme 2
Description of theme 3
   
 

Biochemistry
P.O. Box 9101
6500 HB Nijmegen
T: +31 24 3614589
F: +31 24 3616413

Peter Willems is associate professor at the department of Biochemistry of the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre. He is group leader in the section Membrane Biochemistry, where he works in close collaboration with Dr. Werner Koopman who is assistant professor at the Microscopical Imaging Centre.
Dr. Peter H.G.M. Willems

Research focuses on the (patho)physiology of metabolic disease with special reference to genetic disorders of the oxidative phosphorylation system. Emphasis lies on the combination of biochemistry, molecular biology and advanced life cell imaging to assess the molecular mechanisms underlying the cellular consequences of OXPHOS dysfunction. Measurements are performed on primary cultures of skin fibroblasts and skeletal muscle myotubes with the final aim to understand the regulatory principles of mitochondrial network complexity, dynamics and function and the aberrations thereof in metabolic disease. Of particular interest is the search for therapeutics that can improve the clinical condition.
 
Recent key publications

Koopman, W.J.H., Bosch, R.R., van Emst-de Vries, S.E., Spaargaren, M., De Pont, J.J.H.H.M., Willems, P.H.G.M. (2003) R-Ras alters Ca2+ homeostasis by increasing the Ca2+ leak across the endoplasmic reticular membrane.J. Biol. Chem., 278, 13672-13679.

Koopman, W.J., Renders, M., Oosterhof, A., Van Kuppevelt, T.H., Van Engelen, B.G., Willems, P.H.G.M. (2003) Upregulation of Ca2+ removal in human skeletal muscle: a possible role for Ca2+-dependent priming of mitochondrial ATP synthesis.Am. J. Physiol. Cell Physiol., 285, C1263-C1269.

Visch, H-J., Rutter, G.A., Koopman, W.J.H., de Groot, T., Varadi, A., Mitchell, K., van den Heuvel, L., Smeitink, J.A.M., Willems, P.H.G.M. (2004) Inhibition of mitochondrial Na+-Ca2+ exchange restores agonist-induced ATP production and Ca2+ handling in human complex I deficiency. J. Biol. Chem., 279, 40328-40336.

van Kuppeveld, F.J.M., de Jong, A.S., Melchers, W.J.G., Willems, P.H.G.M. (2005) Enterovirus protein 2B po(u)res out the calcium: a viral strategy to survive? Trends Microbiol., in press.

Koopman, W.J.H., Verkaart, S., Visch, H.-J., van der Westhuizen, F.H., Murphy, M.P., van den Heuvel, L.W.P.J., Smeitink, J.A.M. and Willems, P.H.G.M. (2005) Inhibition of Complex I of the electron transport chain causes oxygen radical-mediated mitochondrial outgrowth. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2005 Jan 12; [Epub ahead of print]