Dr. Ron Allen
Department Head, Professor
Office: Shantz Building 204
Phone: 520-621-7626
Fax: 520-621-3829
rallen@ag.arizona.edu
Degrees:
- Ph.D. - Biochemistry - Iowa State University
- B.S. - Animal Sciences - Texas A&M University
Classes taught:
- ANS 444 - Development and Management of Racing Animals
Dr. Allen is a veteran animal scientist who has taught and conducted research at Iowa State University, Michigan State University and since 1980, the University of Arizona. Dr. Allen's major field of study deals with the regulation of skeletal muscle mass during growth, regeneration and senescence as well as regulation of muscle satellite cell activation, proliferation and differentiation. Dr. Allen also has a great deal of experience with Thoroughbred horses and breeds and raises his own Thoroughbred racing prospects. He brings his real-world expertise to a course for undergraduates titled Development and Management of Racing Animals for the U of A Race Track Industry Program.
Research Interests
The focal point of research in Dr. Allen's laboratory is the growth and repair of skeletal muscle in domestic animals and humans. The key player in both of these processes is the satellite cell. Satellite cells are muscle stem cells that are generally found in a quiescent, or dormant, state in close association with muscle fibers.
Although sparsely distributed in postnatal muscle, they play an important role in regulating muscle growth by dividing and fusing with existing muscle fibers. The result is a net increase in the number of muscle fiber nuclei and hence, an increase in the growth potential of the fiber. In injured muscle, satellite cells are stimulated to divide and form new fibers that replace damaged muscle fibers. Consequently, the rate and efficiency of muscle growth and repair are dependent on the activity of satellite cells, and therefore, satellite cell function is relevant to muscle growth in domestic animals, to human muscle disease and injury and to problems associated with aging.
Research goals in this laboratory have been to identify the hormones and growth factors responsible for satellite cells activation from the quiescent state, division and fiber formation. This problem is being approached by integrating experiments at the cellular, tissue, and whole animal level.
Selected Publications
- Wagner KR, Liu X, Chang X, Allen RE. Feb 2005. Muscle regeneration in the prolonged absence of myostatin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 102:2519-24
- Mendias CL, Tatsumi R, Allen RE. Oct 2004. Role of cyclooxygenase-1 and -2 in satellite cell proliferation, differentiation, and fusion. Muscle Nerve, 30:497
- Tatsumi R, Allen RE. Nov 2004. Active hepatocyte growth factor is present in skeletal muscle extracellular matrix. Muscle Nerve, 30:654-8
- Tatsumi R, Hattori A, Ikeuchi Y, Anderson JE, Allen RE. Aug 2002. Release of hepatocyte growth factor from mechanically stretched skeletal muscle satellite cells and role of pH and nitric oxide. Mol Biol Cell, 13:2909-18
Graduate students:
- Rebecca Johnson
Allen Lab:
- Xiasong Lui - Post Doctorate Fellow
- Mark Morales - Research tec
Allen Lab:
Shantz Building Room 617
Phone: 621-3829
Fax: 621-9435
