DF/HCC Program Affiliation

Neuro-Oncology
Cancer Cell Biology

Research Abstract

Our research is directed towards understanding the mechanisms by which environmental stimuli including neurotrophins and neural activity elicit cellular responses in the developing and mature nervous system. Using mouse models and genome-wide screening technologies, our experiments have identified signal transduction pathways that mediate various processes during the development of the nervous system including cell fate determination and cell type specification, cell survival and death, axon and dendritic outgrowth, and synapse formation and refinement. As each of these steps is critical for the correct wiring and function of the mammalian brain, we are particularly interested in those proteins that, when mutated, lead to diseases such as cancer and disorders of cognitive function.

Publications

• Paradis S, Harrar DB, Lin Y, Koon AC, Hauser JL, Griffith EC, Zhu L, Brass LF, Chen C, Greenberg ME.An RNAi-based approach identifies molecules required for glutamatergic and GABAergic synapse development.Neuron 2007 Jan 18;53(2):217-32.
  17224404
• Zhou Z, Hong EJ, Cohen S, Zhao WN, Ho HY, Schmidt L, Chen WG, Lin Y, Savner E, Griffith EC, Hu L, Steen JA, Weitz CJ, Greenberg ME.Brain-specific phosphorylation of MeCP2 regulates activity-dependent Bdnf transcription, dendritic growth, and spine maturat
  17046689
• Flavell SW, Cowan CW, Kim TK, Greer PL, Lin Y, Paradis S, Griffith EC, Hu LS, Chen C, Greenberg ME.Activity-dependent regulation of MEF2 transcription factors suppresses excitatory synapse number.Science 2006 Feb 17;311(5763):1008-12.
  16484497
• Schratt GM, Tuebing F, Nigh EA, Kane CG, Sabatini ME, Kiebler M, Greenberg ME.A brain-specific microRNA regulates dendritic spine development.Nature 2006 Jan 19;439(7074):283-9.
  16421561
• Sahin M, Greer PL, Lin MZ, Poucher H, Eberhart J, Schmidt S, Wright TM, Shamah SM, O'connell S, Cowan CW, Hu L, Goldberg JL, Debant A, Corfas G, Krull CE, Greenberg ME.Eph-dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of ephexin1 modulates growth cone collapse.Neuro
  15848799
• Cowan CW, Shao YR, Sahin M, Shamah SM, Lin MZ, Greer PL, Gao S, Griffith EC, Brugge JS, Greenberg ME.Vav family GEFs link activated Ephs to endocytosis and axon guidance.Neuron 2005 Apr 21;46(2):205-17.
  15848800
• Tolias KF, Bikoff JB, Burette A, Paradis S, Harrar D, Tavazoie S, Weinberg RJ, Greenberg ME.The Rac1-GEF Tiam1 couples the NMDA receptor to the activity-dependent development of dendritic arbors and spines.Neuron 2005 Feb 17;45(4):525-38.
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