Neuroscience and Cognition "Trafficking mechanisms in neurons"
Location: UMC Utrecht, Blue lecture hall, NOTE! Starting time is 16:00h
Prof.dr. C. Hoogenraad
Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University
SUMMARY:
The human brain consists of more than one hundred billion neurons, intricately connected into functional neuronal circuits. A neuron's ability to receive, process and transmit information depends on its polarized organization into axons and dendrites. But how is the polarized organization established and maintained in neurons? Studies on polarized trafficking have demonstrated various mechanisms for compartment-specific localization. For example, several polarized cargos are non-specifically transported to both axons and dendrites and are then selectively retained at the required compartments. Alternatively, many axonal proteins are correctly sorted into axons whereas dendritic components move specifically into dendrites.
The primary goal of the lab is to understand how intracellular protein trafficking underlies neuronal polarity and development. We particularly focus on the areas of neuronal cytoskeleton, cargo trafficking and synaptic plasticity. The research in the lab can roughly be divided in three themes: i) Cytoskeleton dynamics during neurodevelopment and synaptic plasticity ii) Motor proteins and adaptors as regulators of synaptic transport iii) Neuropsychiatric disorders linked to intracellular transport.
REFERENCES:
- Hoogenraad CC, Bradke F. Control of neuronal polarity and plasticity--a renaissance for microtubules? Trends Cell Biol. 2009
- Kapitein LC, Hoogenraad CC. Which way to go? Cytoskeletal organization and polarized transport in neurons. Mol Cell Neurosci. 2011
BRIEF CV: Casper Hoogenraad obtained his PhD at the Erasmus University Rotterdam in 2001. He was postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Morgan Sheng (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). In 2005 he started a research group at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam. In 2011 he was appointed Professor of Cell Biology at Utrecht University. His lab develops and applies new molecular, cellular and high-resolution live cell imaging approaches to study transport mechanisms in neurons.
MORE INFORMATION: http://www.cellbio.nl