Event Detail

NU NBP Seminar
"Tuning synaptic growth signaling by endocytic membrane traffic: a tale of two endosomes "

DATE: February 9, 2010
TIME: 12:45 PM - 1:45 PM
SPEAKER: Avital Rodal, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
LOCATION: Pancoe Abbott Auditorium, Northwestern University

Description:
Tuning synaptic growth signaling by endocytic membrane traffic: a tale of two endosomes

Synapses undergo structural remodeling in response to activity and growth factors, leading to long-lasting alterations in neuronal function during development, as well as in learning and memory. The receptors that transduce synaptic growth signals are regulated by endocytic internalization, but we do not understand what internal compartments they signal from, what special properties of those compartments enable signaling to occur, and ultimately how the membrane traffic machinery itself can be regulated to control synaptic growth. I use a combination of biochemistry, genetics, and cell biology in Drosophila to unravel the molecular mechanisms by which conserved membrane remodeling proteins respond to developmental and activity-dependent cues to modify synaptic architecture. I have found that transient interactions between lipid-associated proteins drive membrane tubulation-based receptor sorting from early endosomes, leading to receptor down-regulation. Signal output can be increased by delaying exit from early endosomes, while signal termination can be mediated either through traffic from the early endosome to a recycling compartment, or through internalization of the receptor into multivesicular bodies. These trafficking events are implicated in neuronal diseases ranging from mental retardation to neurodegenerative disease and addiction, underlining the health importance of understanding how neuronal signal transduction is modulated by intracellular membrane traffic.
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Please arrive early for complimentary food & refreshments