Kyla Smith

Faculty Service Officer I
PhD, University of Alberta

Office: 7-35 Medical Sciences Building
Email address: kylasmit@ualberta.ca
Telephone Number: 780-492-5440

Academic Activities

Dr Kyla Smith’s research history includes investigating structure/function relationships of wild-type and mutant human concentrative nucleoside transporters (hCNTs) using the two-microelectrode voltage clamp (TEVC) technique in combination with expression in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Steady-state and presteady-state currents of the hCNTs were studied in order to provide information on substrate- and cation-selectivity, cation:nucleoside coupling ratios, turnover numbers, number of proteins expressed in the plasma membrane, and partial reactions of the transport cycle.  In 2015, she was hired to develop and coordinate an online section of PHYSL 210.

 

  • Course coordinator for Physiology 210 Online (PHYSL 210 Lec 800 Fall/winter terms; Spring/summer terms), Physiology 310, 457, 463, 464, 466
  • The topics that I teach include: Cell Physiology, Autonomic Nervous System Physiology, Cardiovascular Physiology, Muscle Physiology (Cardiac/Skeletal/Smooth), Exercise Physiology

Teaching Experience:

  • PHYSL 210 Online (Lec 800; 2017 – present)
  • PHYSL 210 (C1, C2, C3; 2009 – present)
  • PHYSL 212 and 214 (2020 – present) 
  • PHYSL 310 (2015 – present)
  • PHYSL 457 (2023 – present)
  • PHYSL 463/464 (2019 – present) 
  • PHYSL 466 (2019 – present)  

Select Publications

  1. Mackey, J. R., Yao, S. Y. M., Smith, K. M., Karpinski, E., Baldwin, S. A., Cass, C. E., & Young, J. D. (1999). Gemcitabine transport in Xenopus oocytes expressing recombinant plasma membrane mammalian nucleoside transporters. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 91, 1876–1881. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/91.21.1876. [Impact factor 12.95]
  1. Ritzel, M. W. L., Ng, A. M. L., Yao, S. Y. M., Graham, K., Loewen, S. K., Smith, K. M., Ritzel, R. G., Mowles, D. A., Carpenter, P., Chen, X.-Z., Karpinski, E., Hyde, R. J., Baldwin, S. A., Cass, C. E., & Young, J. D. (2001). Molecular identification and characterization of novel human and mouse concentrative Na+-nucleoside cotransporter proteins (hCNT3 and mCNT3) broadly selective for purine and pyrimidine nucleosides (system cib). Journal of Biological Chemistry, 276(4), 2914–2927. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.m007746200. [Impact factor 7.26]
  1. Ritzel, M. W., Ng, A. M., Yao, S. Y., Graham, K., Loewen, S. K., Smith, K. M., Hyde, R. J., Karpinski, E., Cass, C. E., Baldwin, S. A., & Young, J. D. (2001). Recent molecular advances in studies of the concentrative Na+-dependent nucleoside transporter (CNT) family: identification and characterization of novel human and mouse proteins (hCNT3 and mCNT3) broadly selective for purine and pyrimidine nucleosides (system cib). Molecular Membrane Biology, 18, 65–72. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.m007746200. [Impact factor 4.35] 
  2. Smith, K. M., Ng, A. M. L., Yao, S. Y. M., Labedz, K., Knauss, E. E., Wiebe, L. I., Baldwin, S. A., Cass, C. E., Karpinski, E., & Young, J. D. (2004). Electrophysiological characterization of a recombinant human Na+-coupled nucleoside transporter (hCNT1) produced in Xenopus oocytes. Journal of Physiology, 558, 807–823. https://dx.doi.org/10.1113%2Fjphysiol.2004.068189. [Impact factor 4.35] 
  3. Smith, K. M., Slugoski, M. D., Loewen, S. K., Ng, A. M., Yao, S. Y., Chen, X. Z., Karpinski, E., Cass, C. E., Baldwin, S. A., & Young, J. D. (2005). The broadly selective human Na+/nucleoside cotransporter (hCNT3) exhibits novel cation-coupled nucleoside transport characteristics. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 280, 25436–25449. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.m409454200. [Impact factor 5.85] 
  4. Smith, K. M., Slugoski, M. D., Cass, C. E., Baldwin, S. A., Karpinski, E., & Young, J. D. (2007). Cation coupling properties of human concentrative nucleoside transporters hCNT1, hCNT2 and hCNT3. Molecular Membrane Biology, 24; 53–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09687860600942534. [Impact factor 3.87]
  5. Slugoski, M. D., Loewen, S. K., Ng, A. M., Smith, K. M., Yao, S. Y., Karpinski, E., Cass, C. E., Baldwin, S. A., & Young, J. D. (2007). Specific mutations in transmembrane helix 8 of human concentrative Na+/nucleoside cotransporter hCNT1 affect permeant selectivity and cation coupling. Biochemistry, 46, 1684–1693. https://doi.org/10.1021/bi061692s. [Impact factor 3.37]
  6. Yao, S. Y. M., Ng, A. M., Slugoski, M. D., Smith K. M., Mulinta, R., Karpinski, E., Cass, C. E., Baldwin, S. A., & Young, J. D. (2007) Conserved glutamate residues are critically involved in Na+/nucleoside cotransport by human concentrative transporter 1 (hCNT1). Journal of Biological Chemistry, 282; 30607–30617. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M703285200. [Impact factor 5.58] 
  7. Slugoski, M. D., Ng, A. M., Yao, S. Y., Smith, K. M., Lin, C. C., Zhang, J., Karpinski, E., Cass, C. E., Baldwin, S. A., & Young, J. D. (2008). A proton-mediated conformational shift identifies a mobile pore-lining cysteine residue (Cys-561) in human concentrative nucleoside transporter 3. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 283, 8496–8507. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M710433200. [Impact factor 5.52] 
  8. Slugoski, M. D., Smith, K. M., Mulinta, R., Ng, A. M., Yao, S. Y., Morrison, E. L., Lee, Q. O., Zhang, J., Karpinski, E., Cass, C. E., Baldwin, S. A., & Young, J.D. (2008). A conformationally mobile cysteine residue (Cys-561) modulates Na+ and H+ activation of human CNT3. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 283, 24922–24934. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.m801793200. [Impact factor 5.52]
  9. Slugoski, M. D., Smith, K. M., Ng, A. M., Yao, S. Y., Karpinski, E., Cass, C. E., Baldwin, S. A., & Young, J. D. (2009). Conserved glutamate residues Glu-343 and Glu-519 provide mechanistic insights into cation/nucleoside cotransport by human concentrative nucleoside transporter hCNT3. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 284, 17266–17280. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.m109.009613. [Impact factor 5.33]
  10. Altaweraqi, R., Yao, S. Y. M., Smith, K., Cass, C., & Young, J. D. (2020). HPLC reveals novel features of nucleoside and nucleobase homeostasis, nucleoside metabolism and nucleoside transport. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta Biomembranes 1862(7), 183247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183247. [Impact factor 3.53]