Venue: Centre Broca
Harold Mac Gillavry
Associate Professor
Center for Neurogenomics and Neurocognitive Research (CNCR)
Amsterdam, NL
https://research.vu.nl/en/persons/harold-mac-gillavry/
Invited by Tanuj Arora (IINS)
Title
Resolving the dynamic nano-architecture of excitatory synapses
Abstract
Neuronal synapses are composed of a diverse array of protein complexes that are essential for synaptic transmission and plasticity. However, although many synaptic complexes have been characterized extensively, it is unknown how these constituents are assembled within synapses to efficiently control synaptic transmission. We investigate the mechanisms that control the dynamic molecular organization of neuronal synapses. By combining molecular biology, super-resolution imaging, and functional approaches, we aim to understand how synaptic proteins are organized, how this organization changes in response to neuronal activity, and how molecular architecture is linked to the regulation of synaptic transmission. I will highlight recent and ongoing work from the lab to illustrate how studying synapses at increasingly high resolution helps revealing fundamental principles of synapse biology.
Key publications
- MacGillavry HD, Song Y, Raghavachari S, Blanpied TA. (2013) Nanoscale scaffolding domains within the postsynaptic density concentrate synaptic AMPA receptors. Neuron.
- Willems J*, De Jong APH*, Scheefhals N, Mertens E, Catsburg LAE, Poorthuis RB, De Winter F, Verhaagen J, Meye FJ, and MacGillavry HD (2020) ORANGE: A CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing toolbox for epitope tagging of endogenous proteins in neurons. PLOS Biology
- Catsburg LA, Westra M, van Schaik AM, MacGillavry HD (2022) Dynamics and nanoscale organization of the postsynaptic endocytic zone at excitatorysynapses. Elife
- Bodzęta A, Berger F, MacGillavry HD (2022) Subsynaptic mobility of presynaptic mGluR types is differentially regulated by intra- and extracellular interactions. Mol Biol Cell.
- Scheefhals N, Westra M, and MacGillavry HD (2023) mGluR5 is transiently confined in perisynaptic nanodomains to shape synaptic transmission. Nature Communication