Subhojit Roy, MD, PhD
Professor, Departments of Pathology and Neurosciences
UCSD
Host(s): Kapil Ramachandran (Faculty)
The physiologic role of alpha synuclein at the synapse
Alpha synuclein is a cytosolic presynaptic protein that is strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease and related disorders. Despite substantial research, the normal function of alpha synuclein has been controversial, largely because germline single alpha-synuclein knockout mice have mild phenotypes, and deletion of the entire family of synucleins (alpha, beta, gamma) lead to extraneous effects and unwanted compensatory changes at synapses. I will talk about our scientific journey exploring the role of this enigmatic protein, starting from identifying functional interacting partners at the synapse and post-translational regulators, to more recent experiments using somatic gene-editing that achieves acute knockdown without compensation or unwanted effects.
Relevant Publications:
Synapsin E-domain is essential for α-synuclein function
Venue Information:
Speaker Location: Jerome L. Greene Science Center, Kavli Auditorium, 9th Floor Lecture Hall
The Columbia Neuroscience Seminars have been organized to help build community and collaboration among researchers interested in this broad field across campus. The in-person activities, including the talks, provide meaningful interactions for the speakers, many of whom have traveled a long way to visit Columbia. However, if you are a Columbia researcher on another campus and are unable to attend the talk at the Jerome L. Greene Science Center, please email [email protected] at least 48 hours in advance to request an individual, one-time Zoom link (livestream only, no Q&A).
If you have a short- or long-term accommodation request (medical issue, travel, other concerns, etc.), or any other questions, please also reach out to [email protected].
Tuesdays@10 is a signature Zuckerman Institute initiative that aims to expose researchers at all levels to high-quality science and stimulate scientific discourse. The speakers featured in this series represent various fields and techniques in neuroscience, and include invited guests of the Columbia Neuroscience Seminars, the Zuckerman Institute's Local Circuits Affiliates Program, and other special seminar series through a combined, collaborative effort of one or more of the following: Columbia's Zuckerman Institute, the Center for Precision Psychiatry, the Department of Neuroscience, the Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior and the Columbia Translational Neuroscience Initiative, and with support from the Kavli Institute for Brain Science.
More information and a full schedule can be found here.