Education

Ph.D in Biophysics, Kaunas Institute of Medicine (presently Lithuanian University of Health Sciences) and Institute of Biophysics of the Academy of Sciences of former USSR, Pushchino, 1974

Current position

Professor in the Institute of Cardiology of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
Professor in the Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY, USA

Publications (since 2008)

1. Maciunas, K., Snipas, M., Paulauskas, N. and Bukauskas, F. F. (2016). Reverberation of excitation in neuronal networks interconnected through voltage-gated gap junction channels. J Gen Physiol 147(3): 273-288.
2. Snipas, M., Kraujalis, T., Paulauskas, N., Maciunas, K. and Bukauskas, F. F. (2016). Stochastic Model of Gap Junctions Exhibiting Rectification and Multiple Closed States of Slow Gates. Biophys J 110(6): 1322-1333.
3. Garre, J. M., Yang, G., Bukauskas, F. F. and Bennett, M. V. (2016). FGF-1 Triggers Pannexin-1 Hemichannel Opening in Spinal Astrocytes of Rodents and Promotes Inflammatory Responses in Acute Spinal Cord Slices. J Neurosci 36(17): 4785-4801.
4. Bukauskas, F. F. (2016). Molecular organization, gating and function of connexin-based gap junction channels and Hemichannels. In: Zipes, D. P. and Jalife, J. (eds). Cardiac Electrophysiology: From Cell to Bedside, Philadelphia: ELSEVIER, SAUNDERS.
5. Kalinowska, M., Chavez, A. E., Lutzu, S., Castillo, P. E., Bukauskas, F. F. and Francesconi, A. (2015). Actinin-4 Governs Dendritic Spine Dynamics and Promotes Their Remodeling by Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors. J Biol Chem 290(26): 15909-15920.
6. Skatchkov, S. N., Bukauskas, F. F., Benedikt, J., Inyushin, M. and Kucheryavykh, Y. V. (2015). Intracellular spermine prevents acid-induced uncoupling of Cx43 gap junction channels. Neuroreport 26(9): 528-532.
7. Snipas, M., Pranevicius, H., Pranevicius, M., Pranevicius, O., Paulauskas, N. and Bukauskas, F. F. (2015). Application of stochastic automata networks for creation of continuous time Markov chain models of voltage gating of gap junction channels. Biomed Res Int 2015: 936295.
8. Palacios-Prado, N., Chapuis, S., Panjkovich, A., Fregeac, J., Nagy, J. I. and Bukauskas, F. F. (2014). Molecular determinants of magnesium-dependent synaptic plasticity at electrical synapses formed by connexin36. Nat Commun 5: 4667.
9. Bukauskas, F. F. (2013). Molecular organization, gating and function of connexin-based gap junction channels and Hemichannels. In: Zipes, D. P. and Jalife, J. (eds). Cardiac Electrophysiology: From Cell to Bedside, Philadelphia: ELSEVIER, SAUNDERS.
10. Majoul, I. V., Gao, L., Betzig, E., Onichtchouk, D., Butkevich, E., Kozlov, Y., Bukauskas, F., Bennett, M. V., Lippincott-Schwartz, J. and Duden, R. (2013). Fast structural responses of gap junction membrane domains to AB5 toxins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 110(44): E4125-4133.
11. Lubkemeier, I., Andrie, R., Lickfett, L., Bosen, F., Stockigt, F., Dobrowolski, R., Draffehn, A. M., Fregeac, J., Schultze, J. L., Bukauskas, F. F., Schrickel, J. W. and Willecke, K. (2013). The Connexin40A96S mutation from a patient with atrial fibrillation causes decreased atrial conduction velocities and sustained episodes of induced atrial fibrillation in mice. J Mol Cell Cardiol 65: 19-32.
12. Rash, J. E., Curti, S., Vanderpool, K. G., Kamasawa, N., Nannapaneni, S., Palacios-Prado, N., Flores, C. E., Yasumura, T., O'Brien, J., Lynn, B. D., Bukauskas, F. F., Nagy, J. I. and Pereda, A. E. (2013). Molecular and functional asymmetry at a vertebrate electrical synapse. Neuron 79(5): 957-969.
13. Lubkemeier, I., Requardt, R. P., Lin, X., Sasse, P., Andrie, R., Schrickel, J. W., Chkourko, H., Bukauskas, F. F., Kim, J. S., Frank, M., Malan, D., Zhang, J., Wirth, A., Dobrowolski, R., Mohler, P. J., Offermanns, S., Fleischmann, B. K., Delmar, M. and Willecke, K. (2013). Deletion of the last five C-terminal amino acid residues of connexin43 leads to lethal ventricular arrhythmias in mice without affecting coupling via gap junction channels. Basic Res Cardiol 108(3): 348.
14. Palacios-Prado, N., Hoge, G., Marandykina, A., Rimkute, L., Chapuis, S., Paulauskas, N., Skeberdis, V. A., O'Brien, J., Pereda, A. E., Bennett, M. V. and Bukauskas, F. F. (2013). Intracellular magnesium-dependent modulation of gap junction channels formed by neuronal connexin36. J Neurosci 33(11): 4741-4753.
15. Marandykina, A., Palacios-Prado, N., Rimkute, L., Skeberdis, V. A. and Bukauskas, F. F. (2013). Regulation of connexin36 gap junction channels by n-alkanols and arachidonic acid. J Physiol 591(8): 2087-2101.
16. Wang, N., De Vuyst, E., Ponsaerts, R., Boengler, K., Palacios-Prado, N., Wauman, J., Lai, C. P., De Bock, M., Decrock, E., Bol, M., Vinken, M., Rogiers, V., Tavernier, J., Evans, W. H., Naus, C. C., Bukauskas, F. F., Sipido, K. R., Heusch, G., Schulz, R., Bultynck, G. and Leybaert, L. (2013). Selective inhibition of Cx43 hemichannels by Gap19 and its impact on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. Basic Res Cardiol 108(1): 309.
17. Wang, N., De Bock, M., Antoons, G., Gadicherla, A. K., Bol, M., Decrock, E., Evans, W. H., Sipido, K. R., Bukauskas, F. F. and Leybaert, L. (2012). Connexin mimetic peptides inhibit Cx43 hemichannel opening triggered by voltage and intracellular Ca2+ elevation. Basic Res Cardiol 107(6): 304.
18. Bennett, M. V., Garre, J. M., Orellana, J. A., Bukauskas, F. F., Nedergaard, M. and Saez, J. C. (2012). Connexin and pannexin hemichannels in inflammatory responses of glia and neurons. Brain Res 1487: 3-15.
19. Wang, N., De Bock, M., Decrock, E., Bol, M., Gadicherla, A., Vinken, M., Rogiers, V., Bukauskas, F. F., Bultynck, G. and Leybaert, L. (2013). Paracrine signaling through plasma membrane hemichannels. Biochim Biophys Acta 1828(1): 35-50.
20. Bukauskas, F. F. (2012). Neurons and beta-cells of the pancreas express connexin36, forming gap junction channels that exhibit strong cationic selectivity. J Membr Biol 245(5-6): 243-253.
21. Paulauskas, N., Pranevicius, H., Mockus, J. and Bukauskas, F. F. (2012). Stochastic 16-state model of voltage gating of gap-junction channels enclosing fast and slow gates. Biophys J 102(11): 2471-2480.
22. Eugenin, E. A., Basilio, D., Saez, J. C., Orellana, J. A., Raine, C. S., Bukauskas, F., Bennett, M. V. and Berman, J. W. (2012). The role of gap junction channels during physiologic and pathologic conditions of the human central nervous system. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 7(3): 499-518.
23. Palacios-Prado, N. and Bukauskas, F. F. (2012). Modulation of metabolic communication through gap junction channels by transjunctional voltage; synergistic and antagonistic effects of gating and ionophoresis. Biochim Biophys Acta 1818(8): 1884-1894.
24. Skeberdis, V. A., Rimkute, L., Skeberdyte, A., Paulauskas, N. and Bukauskas, F. F. (2011). pH-dependent modulation of connexin-based gap junctional uncouplers. J Physiol 589(Pt 14): 3495-3506.
25. Garre, J. M., Retamal, M. A., Cassina, P., Barbeito, L., Bukauskas, F. F., Saez, J. C., Bennett, M. V. and Abudara, V. (2010). FGF-1 induces ATP release from spinal astrocytes in culture and opens pannexin and connexin hemichannels. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 107(52): 22659-22664.
26. Palacios-Prado, N., Briggs, S. W., Skeberdis, V. A., Pranevicius, M., Bennett, M. V. and Bukauskas, F. F. (2010). pH-dependent modulation of voltage gating in connexin45 homotypic and connexin45/connexin43 heterotypic gap junctions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 107: 9897-9902.
27. Palacios-Prado, N. and Bukauskas, F. F. (2009). Heterotypic gap junction channels as voltage-sensitive valves for intercellular signaling. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 106: 14855-14860.
28. Paulauskas, N., Pranevicius, M., Pranevicius, H. and Bukauskas, F. F. (2009). A stochastic four-state model of contingent gating of gap junction channels containing two "fast" gates sensitive to transjunctional voltage. Biophys J 96(10): 3936-3948.
29. Sonntag, S., Sohl, G., Dobrowolski, R., Zhang, J., Theis, M., Winterhager, E., Bukauskas, F. F. and Willecke, K. (2009). Mouse lens connexin23 (Gje1) does not form functional gap junction channels but causes enhanced ATP release from HeLa cells. Eur J Cell Biol 88(2): 65-77.
30. Dobrowolski, R., Sasse, P., Schrickel, J. W., Watkins, M., Kim, J. S., Rackauskas, M., Troatz, C., Ghanem, A., Tiemann, K., Degen, J., Bukauskas, F. F., Civitelli, R., Lewalter, T., Fleischmann, B. K. and Willecke, K. (2008). The conditional connexin43G138R mouse mutant represents a new model of hereditary oculodentodigital dysplasia in humans. Hum Mol Genet 17(4): 539-554.