Neurons analyze and transmit information in the brain. Information is transferred from one neuron to another at functional contact sites called synapses. Precise assembly of synapses is critical for proper functioning of the brain; abnormal synapse formation is involved in various neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Synapses are formed through the communication between the appropriate synaptic partners. There are two important steps in order for synapses to form properly: a neural activity-independent step and an activity-dependent step. In the first step, pre- and postsynaptic cells recognize and differentiate each other by exchanging molecular cues to form specific synaptic connections. In the second step, activity-dependent signals either stabilize or destabilize the synapse to establish appropriate synaptic connections. The goal of our research is to understand the precise mechanisms underlying these steps that organize functional neural circuits in the brain.
In this seminar, I will show that specific target-derived molecules organize specific presynaptic terminals and help specify synaptic type in the mammalian brain. Furthermore, I will show the role of neural activity in the refinement of neural circuits in the hippocampus, the structure known to be critical for long-term memory formation.
These studies contribute significantly to understanding of mechanisms underlying the establishment of specific and functional neural circuits in the brain and provide important clues for the etiology of neurological disorders associated with abnormal circuit formation.
(Language) English