Bruce Patton, Ph.D.

Bruce Patton, Ph.D., is a technical consultant who assists with preparing and prosecuting U.S. and foreign patent applications in a variety of subject areas. Bruce has more than 20 years experience in biomedical research and development, most recently as principal investigator and professor at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). He has particular expertise in chemical and medical sciences, imaging, biotechnology, and nanobiotechnology.

Technical Expertise

Bruce’s research topics have included the growth and regeneration of brain tissue, nerves, skeletal muscles, and synapses. Particular focus has been applied to mechanisms by which extracellular matrix proteins guide neural development and stabilize muscles. Technologies applied in this research include biochemical separations, protein structure/function determination, cell biology, genetic engineering, mammalian transgenesis, nanobiotechnology including surface patterning and microfluidics, immunochemistry, advanced microscopy, and imaging. This background is particularly helpful to clients specializing in biotechnological, medical, and imaging fields.

Professional Background

Dr. Patton has held a position as principal investigator on the faculty at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) since 1999. Previously, he conducted postdoctoral research on synapse formation and muscle development at Washington University Medical School in St. Louis. During doctoral research at Caltech, in Pasadena, California, he pioneered the production of activation state-specific antibodies based on protein phosphorylation sites, which became a staple class of reagents in cell diagnostics. To date, he has co-authored more than 50 research reports and text book chapters. He has been an invited lecturer on four continents. His research has been awarded grants by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the NSF NanoBioTechnology Center, and multiple research foundations. He has served as a peer reviewer for these and other research organizations, and numerous scientific journals. Professional memberships include the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Society for Neuroscience.

Education

• Postdoctoral Fellowship at Washington University School of Medicine. James L. O’Leary Prize awarded in 1997 for research on molecular signals controlling synapse formation.
• Ph.D. in Neurobiology from California Institute of Technology (Caltech), 1991. Thesis on biochemical switches in neurons that underlie learning and memory; awarded first Lawrence Ferguson Graduate Fellowship.
• B.A. in Biochemistry with Highest Honors, and B.A. in Chemistry with High Honors, Brandeis University, cum laude, 1985; Nathan O. Kaplan Award for the outstanding Biochemistry graduate; Doris Brewer Cohen Prize for the outstanding dissertation in Biological or Chemical Sciences.

Selected Publications

• Miller, S.G., Patton, B.L., and Kennedy, M.B. Sequences of autophosphorylation sites in neuronal type II CaM kinase that control Ca²⁺-independent activity. Neuron 1: 593–604, 1988.
• Patton, B.L., Miller, S.G., and Kennedy, M.B. Activation of type II CaM kinase by Ca²⁺/calmodulin is inhibited by autophosphorylation of threonine within the calmodulin binding domain. J. Biol. Chem. 256: 11024–11212, 1990.
• Patton, B.L., Miller, S.G., and Kennedy, M.B. Identification of functionally significant phosphorylation sites on neuronal proteins and preparation of antibodies that recognize them. Methods in Neuroscience. 6: 158–176, 1990.
• Patton, B.L., Molloy, S.S., and Kennedy, M.B. Autophosphorylation of type II CaM kinase in hippocampal neurons: localization of phospho- and dephosphokinase with complementary phosphorylation site-specific antibodies. Molec. Biol. Cell 4: 159–172, 1993.
• Miner*, J.H., Patton*, B.L. Lentz, S.I., Gilbert, D.J., Snider, W.D., Jenkins, N.A., Copeland, N.G., and Sanes, J.R. The laminin αchains: Expression, developmental transitions, and chromosomal locations of α1–5, identification of heterotrimeric laminins 8–11, and cloning of a novel α3 isoform. J. Cell Biol. 137: 685–701, 1997.
• Patton, B.L., Miner, J.H., Chiu, A.Y., and Sanes, J.R. Distribution and function of laminins in the neuromuscular system of developing, adult and mutant mice. J. Cell Biol. 139: 1507–1521, 1997.
• Patton, B.L., Chiu, A.Y., and Sanes, J.R. Synaptic laminin prevents glial entry into the synaptic cleft. Nature 393: 698–701, 1998.
• Patton, B.L., Connolly, A.M., Martin, P.T., et al. Distribution of ten laminin chains in dystrophic and regenerating muscles. Neuromusc. Disorders 9:423–433, 1999.
• Son, Y.J., Patton, B.L., and Sanes, J.R. Induction of presynaptic differentiation in cultured neurons by extracellular matrix components. Eur. J. Neurosci. 11:3457–3467, 1999.
• Patton, B.L. Laminins of the Vertebrate Neuromuscular System. (invited review) Microscopy Res. Tech. 51:247–261, 2000.
• Patton, B.L., Cunningham, J.M., Thyboll, J., et al. Properly formed but improperly localized synaptic specializations in the absence of laminin α4. Nature Neuroscience 4:597–604, 2001. (Cover)
• Patton, B.L. Basal lamina and the organization of neuromuscular synapses. J. Neurocytol. 32: 883–903, 2003.
• Miner, J.H., Li, C., and Patton, B.L. Laminins α2 and α4 in pancreatic acinar basement membranes are required for basal receptor localization. J. Histochem and Cytochem. 52:153–156, 2004.
• Yurchenco, P.D., Amenta, P.S., and Patton, B.L. Basement membrane assembly, stability, and activities seen through a developmental lens. Matrix Biol. 22:521–538, 2004.
• Yang, D., Bierman, J., Tarumi, Y.S., et al. Coordinate control of axon defasciculation and myelination by laminin-2 and -8. J. Cell Biol. 168: 655–666, 2005.
• Patton, B. L., and Burgess, R. W. Synaptogenesis. In Developmental Neurobiology, 4th Edition. Mahendra Rao and Marcus Jacobson, Editors. Kluwer/Plenum Press (New York). 2005.
• Miner, J.H., Go, G., Cunningham, J., Patton, B.L., and Jarad, G. Transgenic isolation of skeletal muscle and kidney defects in laminin β2 mutant mice: Implications for Pierson syndrome. Development 133:967–75, 2006.
• Shannon, M.B., Patton, B.L., Scott J. Harvey, S.J., and Miner, J.H. A hypomorphic mutation in the mouse laminin α5 gene causes polycystic kidney disease. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol 17:1913–1922, 2006.
• Belvindrah, R., Hankel, S., Walker, J., Patton, B. L., and Muller, U. β1 integrins control the formation of cell chains in the adult rostral migratory stream. J. Neurosci. 27:2704 –2717, 2007.
• Kabosova, A., et al. Compositional differences between infant and adult human corneal basement membranes. Inv. Opth. Vis. Science 48:4989–99, 2007.
• Lathia, J.D., Patton B.L., Eckley D.M., Magnus T., Mughal M.R., Sasaki T., Caldwell M.A., Rao M.S., Mattson M.P., and ffrench-Constant C. Patterns of laminins and integrins in the embryonic ventricular zone of the CNS. J. Comp. Neurol. 505:630–43, 2007.
• Patton, B.L. Wang, B., Tarumi, Y.S., Seburn, K.L., and Burgess, R.W. A single point mutation in LN-domain of LAMA2 causes muscular dystrophy and peripheral amyelination. J. Cell Science 121:1593–1604, 2008.
• Patton, B.L. and Yurchenco, P.D. Developmental and pathogenic mechanisms of basement membrane assembly. Curr. Pharm. Des. 15:1277–1294. 2009.
• Court, F.A., Hewitt, J.E., Davies, K., et al. A laminin-2, dystroglycan, utrophin axis is required for compartmentalization and elongation of myelin segments. J. Neurosci. 29:3908–3919. 2009.
• Radakovits, R., Belvindrah, R., Patton, B.L., and Mueller, U. Regulation of radial glial survival by signals from the meninges. J. Neurosci. 29:7694–7705, 2009.
• Loulier, K. Lathia JD, Marthiens V, et al. Beta1 integrin maintains integrity of the embryonic neocortical stem cell niche. PLoS Biol. 7(8):e1000176. Epub 2009 Aug 18. 2009.

Outside Interests

Off hours, Bruce primarily enjoys being husband to an OHSU professor and comic relief to three increasingly skeptical children. On occasion, he enjoys a trail run in the hills around Portland.