Associate Professor Stephen Bunn

Position	Associate Professor
Department	Department of Anatomy
Qualifications	BSc(Hons)(Sur) PhD(Lond)
Research summary	The neuroendocrinology of stress
Teaching	I am the Academic Coordinator of CELS 191 and 199, the former being a major part of the Health Sciences First Year program as well as most Biological Science degrees. I also teach into 200 and 300-level Neuroscience and Cell Biology papers in the Anatomy Department. As Post-Graduate Coordinator for the Department I am responsible for assisting students in finding an appropriate post-graduate supervisor and structuring their 400-level year. As part of this activity I coordinate and teach into the Department's core 400-level paper ANAT 458 as well run the final oral exams for our Honours students.
Memberships	Member of; the Australasian Society for Neuroscience, British Society for Neuroendocrinology, the Society for Neuroscience, and the New Zealand Endocrine Society.

Research

As a member of the University of Otago Centre for Neuroendocrinology my interests are focused on the interaction of hormones and the brain. While it has been accepted for many years that particular regions of the brain control circulating hormone levels it has become increasingly apparent that the relationship is bidirectional, with many hormones having profound effects on the brain. Much of my research has been directed at understanding the role this neuroendocrine relationship plays in helping us adapt to stress. Using a wide range of experimental models from isolated cells to transgenic animals we are currently exploring the role of lesser-known stress-activated signals including the lactation-associated hormone prolactin or immune-derived cytokines such as interleukin-6. Our studies are revealing unexpected physiological targets for these signals that suggest that they have the potential to modulate brain activity. While my research addresses fundamental biology rather than disease-specific issues there is increasing evidence to suggest that physiologically inappropriate hormonal signalling to the brain may lie at the heart of many as yet unresolved clinical problems, such as weight regulation, diabetes, infertility and perhaps even some forms of mental illness.

Publications

Nair, B. B., Khant Aung, Z., Porteous, R., Prescott, M., Glendining, K. A., Jenkins, D. E., Augustine, R. A., Silva, M. S. B., Yip, S. H., Bouwer, G. T., Brown, C. H., Jasoni, C. L., Campbell, R. E., Bunn, S. J., Anderson, G. M., Grattan, D. R., Herbison, A. E., & Iremonger, K. J. (2021). Impact of chronic variable stress on neuroendocrine hypothalamus and pituitary in male and female C57BL/6J mice. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 33, e12972. doi: 10.1111/jne.12972

Gustafson, P., Ladyman, S. R., McFadden, S., Larsen, C., Khant Aung, Z., Brown, R. S. E., Bunn, S. J., & Grattan, D. R. (2020). Prolactin receptor-mediated activation of pSTAT5 in the pregnant mouse brain. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 32, e12901. doi: 10.1111/jne.12901

Yip, S. H., Araujo-Lopes, R., Szawka, R. E., York, J., Hyland, B., Grattan, D. R., & Bunn, S. J. (2020). Morphological plasticity of the tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic neurons in the rat during the estrous cycle and lactation. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 32(11), e12884. doi: 10.1111/jne.12884

Kirk, S. E., Grattan, D. R., & Bunn, S. J. (2019). The median eminence detects and responds to circulating prolactin in the male mouse. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 31, e12733. doi: 10.1111/jne.12733

Yip, S. H., Romanò, N., Gustafson, P., Hodson, D. J., Williams, E. J., Kokay, I. C., … Grattan, D. R., & Bunn, S. J. (2019). Elevated prolactin during pregnancy drives a phenotypic switch in mouse hypothalamic dopaminergic neurons. Cell Reports, 26(7), 1787-1799.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.01.067

Powis, D. A., & Bunn, S. J. (Eds.). (1995). Neurotransmitter Release and its Modulation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 10p.

Edited Book - Research

Journal - Research Article

Yip, S. H., York, J., Hyland, B., Bunn, S. J., & Grattan, D. R. (2018). Incomplete concordance of dopamine transporter Cre (DAT^IREScre)-mediated recombination and tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity in the mouse forebrain. Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy, 90, 40-48. doi: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2017.12.002

Journal - Research Article

Gustafson, P., Bunn, S. J., & Grattan, D. R. (2017). The role of prolactin in the suppression of Crh mRNA expression during pregnancy and lactation in the mouse. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 29(9), e12511. doi: 10.1111/jne.12511

Journal - Research Article

Gustafson, P., Kokay, I., Sapsford, T., Bunn, S., & Grattan, D. (2017). Prolactin regulation of the HPA axis is not mediated by a direct action upon CRH neurons: Evidence from the rat and mouse. Brain Structure & Function, 222(7), 3191-3204. doi: 10.1007/s00429-017-1395-1

Journal - Research Article

Kirk, S. E., Xie, T. Y., Steyn, F. J., Grattan, D. R., & Bunn, S. J. (2017). Restraint stress increases prolactin-mediated phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 in the hypothalamus and adrenal cortex in the male mouse. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 29(6), 1-9. doi: 10.1111/jne.12477

Journal - Research Article

Jenkins, D. E., Sreenivasan, D., Carman, F., Babru, S., Eiden, L. E., & Bunn, S. J. (2016). Interleukin-6-mediated signaling in adrenal medullary chromaffin cells. Journal of Neurochemistry, 139(6), 1138-1150. doi: 10.1111/jnc.13870

Journal - Research Article

Romanò, N., Yip, S. H., Hodson, D. J., Guillou, A., Parnaudeau, S., Kirk, S., … Bunn, S. J., Grattan, D. R., … Martin, A. O. (2013). Plasticity of hypothalamic dopamine neurons during lactation results in dissociation of electrical activity and release. Journal of Neuroscience, 33(10), 4424-4433. doi: 10.1523/jneurosci.4415-12.2013

Journal - Research Article

Samal, B., Ait-Ali, D., Bunn, S., Mustafa, T., & Eiden, L. E. (2013). Discrete signal transduction pathway utilization by a neuropeptide (PACAP) and a cytokine (TNF-alpha) first messenger in chromaffin cells, inferred from coupled transcriptome-promoter analysis of regulated gene cohorts. Peptides, 45, 48-60. doi: 10.1016/j.peptides.2013.03.020

Journal - Research Article

Bunn, S. J., Ait-Ali, D., & Eiden, L. E. (2012). Immune-neuroendocrine integration at the adrenal gland: Cytokine control of the adrenomedullary transcriptome. Journal of Molecular Neuroscience, 48(2), 413-419. doi: 10.1007/s12031-012-9745-1

Journal - Research Article

Yip, S. H., Eguchi, R., Grattan, D. R., & Bunn, S. J. (2012). Prolactin signalling in the mouse hypothalamus is primarily mediated by signal transducer and activator of transcription factor 5b but not 5a. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 24(12), 1484-1491. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2012.02357.x

Journal - Research Article

Knowles, P. J., Douglas, S. A., & Bunn, S. J. (2011). Nicotinic stimulation of catecholamine synthesis and tyrosine hydroxylase phosphorylation in cervine adrenal medullary chromaffin cells. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 23(3), 224-231. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2010.02100.x

Journal - Research Article

Douglas, S. A., Sreenivasan, D., Carman, F. H., & Bunn, S. J. (2010). Cytokine interactions with adrenal medullary chromaffin cells. Cellular & Molecular Neurobiology, 30(8), 1467-1475. doi: 10.1007/s10571-010-9593-x

Journal - Research Article

Douglas, S. A., & Bunn, S. J. (2009). Interferon-α signalling in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells: Involvement of signal-transducer and activator of transcription 1 and 2, extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1/2 and serine 31 phosphorylation of tyrosine hydroxylase. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 21(3), 200-207. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2009.01821.x

Journal - Research Article

Douglas, S. A., Stevenson, K. E., Knowles, P. J., & Bunn, S. J. (2008). Characterization of catecholamine release from deer adrenal medullary chromaffin cells. Neuroscience Letters, 445(1), 126-129. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2008.08.060

Journal - Research Article

Grattan, D. R., Steyn, F. J., Kokay, I. C., Anderson, G. M., & Bunn, S. J. (2008). Pregnancy-induced adaptation in the neuroendocrine control of prolactin secretion. Journal of Neuroendocrinology, 20(4), 497-507. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2008.01661.x

Journal - Research Article

Anderson, G. M., Beijer, P., Bang, A. S., Fenwick, M. A., Bunn, S. J., & Grattan, D. R. (2006). Suppression of prolactin-induced signal transducer and activator of transcription 5b signaling and induction of suppressors of cytokine signaling messenger ribonucleic acid in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus of the rat during late pregnancy and lactation. Endocrinology, 147(10), 4996-5005.

Journal - Research Article

O'Sullivan, K. M., & Bunn, S. J. (2006). Phospholipase C isozymes are differentially distributed in the rat adrenal medulla. Neuroscience Letters, 396, 212-216. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2005.11.033

Journal - Research Article

Ma, F. Y., Anderson, G. M., Gunn, T. D., Goffin, V., Grattan, D. R., & Bunn, S. J. (2005). Prolactin specifically activates signal transducer and activator of transcription 5b in neuroendocrine dopaminergic neurons. Endocrinology, 146(12), 5112-5119.

Journal - Research Article

Ma, F. Y., Grattan, D. R., Goffin, V., & Bunn, S. J. (2005). Prolacting-regulated tyrosine hydroxylase activity and messenger ribonucleic acid expression in mediobasal hypothalamic cultures: The differential role of specific protein kinases. Endocrinology, 146(1), 93-102.

Journal - Research Article

Ma, F. Y., Grattan, D. R., Bobrovskaya, L., Dunkley, P. R., & Bunn, S. J. (2004). Angiotensin II regulates tyrosine hydroxylase activity and mRNA expression in rat mediobasal hypothalamic cultures: The role of specific protein kinases. Journal of Neurochemistry.

Journal - Research Article

O'Connell, G., Douglas, S., & Bunn, S. J. (2003). The involvement of specific phospholipase C isozymes in catecholamine release from digitonin permeabilized bovine adrenal medullary chromaffin cells. Neuroscience Letters, 342, 1-4.

Journal - Research Article

Tompkins, M., Gai, W. P., Douglas, S., & Bunn, S. J. (2003). α-Synuclein expression localizes to the Golgi apparatus in bovine adrenal medullary chromaffin cells. Brain Research, 984, 233-236.

Journal - Research Article

Grattan, D. R., Pi, X. J., Andrews, Z. B., Augustine, R. A., Kokay, I. C., Summerfield, M. R., Todd, B., & Bunn, S. J. (2001). Prolactin receptors in the brain during pregnancy and lactation: Implications for behaviour. Hormones & Behavior, 40, 115-124.

Journal - Research Article

Grattan, D. R., Xu, J., McLachlan, M. J., Kokay, I. C., Bunn, S. J., Hovey, R. C., & Davey, H. W. (2001). Feedback regulation of PRL secretion is mediated by the transcription factor, signal transducer, and activator of transcription 5b. Endocrinology, 142(9), 3935-3940.

Journal - Research Article

Roberts-Thomson, E., Palmer, S. M., Powis, D. A., & Bunn, S. J. (2000). Histamine-stimulated phospholipase C activity in bovine adrenal medullary chromaffin cells: The effect of chloride-channel antagonists and low extracellular chloride concentrations. Neuroscience Letters, 278, 93-96.

Journal - Research Article

Roberts-Thomson, E., Saunders, H. I., Palmer, S. M., Powis, D. A., Dunkley, P. R., & Bunn, S. J. (2000). Ca²⁺ influx stimulated phospholipase C activity in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells: Responses to K⁺ depolarization and histamine. European Journal of Pharmacology, 398, 199-207.

Journal - Research Article

Cheah, T. B., Bobrovskaya, L., Goncalves, C.-A., Hall, A., Elliot, R., Lengyel, I., Bunn, S. J., … Dunkley, P. R. (1999). Simultaneous measurement of tyrosin hydroxylase activity and phosphorylation in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 87, 167-174.

Journal - Research Article

Bobrovskaya, L., Cheah, T. B., Bunn, S. J., & Dunkley, P. R. (1998). Tyrosine hydroxylase in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells: Angiotensin II-stimulated activity and phosphorylation of Ser19, Ser31, and Ser40. Journal of Neurochemistry, 70, 2565-2573.

Journal - Research Article

Zerbes, M., Bunn, S. J., & Powis, D. A. (1998). Histamine causes Ca2+ entry via both a store-operated and a store-independent pathway in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. Cell Calcium, 23(6), 379-386.

Journal - Research Article

Bunn, S. J., & Dunkley, P. R. (1997). Histamine-stimulated phospholipase C signalling in the adrenal medullary chromaffin cell: Effect on inositol phospholipid metabolism and tyrosine hydroxylase phosphorylation. Clinical & Experimental Pharmacology & Physiology, 24, 624-631.

Journal - Research Article

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Associate Professor Stephen Bunn

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