O'Connor-Giles Laboratory

Cellular and molecular mechanisms of synaptic growth:

Synaptogenesis is a complex process that depends on intercellular communication between neurons and their targets to modulate the morphology and physiology of synapses in response to functional and developmental cues – often at sites very distant from cell bodies. A further complication is the fact that a single central neuron can form thousands of synapses and must independently regulate the development of each. Synapses must also maintain the life-long ability to modify its size and strength in response to environmental stimuli and changes in activity levels – modifications that are thought to underlie learning and memory.

Defects in synaptic development and plasticity are associated with a broad range of neurological disorders including developmental disorders such as autism; motor, cognitive and psychological impairments; and neurodegeneration. Thus, the identification and characterization of the molecules that mediate synaptic growth is key to our understanding of normal neural function and our ability to treat a variety of neurological disorders. The Drosophila larval NMJ is an ideal model system for elucidating the general principles underlying synaptic growth. In addition to highly amenable genetics, the Drosophila NMJ is readily accessible for imaging and electrophysiological analysis. Importantly, the molecules and mechanisms implicated in synaptogenesis at the Drosophila NMJ are remarkably conserved.