DF/HCC Program Affiliation

Neuro-Oncology
Cancer Cell Biology

Research Abstract

Our laboratory studies the function of the PI3K/TSC/mTOR pathway within neurons and astrocytes. Our goal is to understand how this pathway regulates the growth and function of cells within the mammalian central nervous system. Furthermore, we wish to understand how loss of PTEN or TSC1/2, as occurs in the hamaratomatos disorders of Cowden's disease and Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, perturb the growth and function of neurons. Our studies include biochemical analysis of the signaling pathway, quantitative analysis of cell-growth and morphology, as well as electrophysiological analysis of neuronal function. Our initial studies have revealed a role of the TSC pathway in controlling neuronal growth and function and have found novel links from TSC/mTOR to the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton via the depolymerization factor cofilin.

Publications

• Alvarez VA, Ridenour DA, Sabatini BL.Retraction of synapses and dendritic spines induced by off-target effects of RNA interference.J Neurosci 2006 Jul 26;26(30):7820-5.
  16870727
• Soler-Llavina GJ, Sabatini BL.Synapse-specific plasticity and compartmentalized signaling in cerebellar stellate cells.Nat Neurosci 2006 Jun;9(6):798-806.
  16680164
• Zhou X, Zhu J, Liu KY, Sabatini BL, Wong ST.Mutual information-based feature selection in studying perturbation of dendritic structure caused by TSC2 inactivation.Neuroinformatics 2006;4(1):81-94.
  16595860
• Han S, Witt RM, Santos TM, Polizzano C, Sabatini BL, Ramesh V.Pam (Protein associated with Myc) functions as an E3 Ubiquitin ligase and regulates TSC/mTOR signaling.Cell Signal 2008 Jun;20(6):1084-91.
  18308511
• Xu W, Schluter OM, Steiner P, Czervionke BL, Sabatini B, Malenka RC.Molecular dissociation of the role of PSD-95 in regulating synaptic strength and LTD.Neuron 2008 Jan 24;57(2):248-62.
  18215622
• Busetto G, Higley MJ, Sabatini BL.Developmental presence and disappearance of postsynaptically silent synapses on dendritic spines of rat layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons.J Physiol 2008 Mar 15;586(6):1519-27.
  18202095
• Sabatini BL.Neuroscience: neighbourly synapses.Nature 2007 Dec 20;450(7173):1173-5.
  18097394
• Bloodgood BL, Sabatini BL.Regulation of synaptic signalling by postsynaptic, non-glutamate receptor ion channels.J Physiol 2008 Mar 15;586(6):1475-80.
  18096597
• Carter AG, Soler-Llavina GJ, Sabatini BL.Timing and location of synaptic inputs determine modes of subthreshold integration in striatal medium spiny neurons.J Neurosci 2007 Aug 15;27(33):8967-77.
  17699678
• Cheng J, Zhou X, Miller E, Witt RM, Zhu J, Sabatini BL, Wong ST.A novel computational approach for automatic dendrite spines detection in two-photon laser scan microscopy.J Neurosci Methods 2007 Sep 15;165(1):122-34.
  17629570
• Alvarez VA, Ridenour DA, Sabatini BL.Distinct structural and ionotropic roles of NMDA receptors in controlling spine and synapse stability.J Neurosci 2007 Jul 11;27(28):7365-76.
  17626197
• Bloodgood BL, Sabatini BL.Ca(2+) signaling in dendritic spines.Curr Opin Neurobiol 2007 Jun;17(3):345-51.
  17451936
• Zhang Y, Zhou X, Witt RM, Sabatini BL, Adjeroh D, Wong ST.Dendritic spine detection using curvilinear structure detector and LDA classifier.Neuroimage 2007 Jun;36(2):346-60.
  17448688
• Tavazoie SF, Alvarez VA, Ridenour DA, Kwiatkowski DJ, Sabatini BL.Regulation of neuronal morphology and function by the tumor suppressors Tsc1 and Tsc2.Nat Neurosci 2005 Nov 6.
  16286931
• Bloodgood BL, Sabatini BL.Neuronal activity regulates diffusion across the neck of dendritic spines.Science 2005 Nov 4;310(5749):866-9.
  16272125
• Carter AG, Sabatini BL.State-dependent calcium signaling in dendritic spines of striatal medium spiny neurons.Neuron 2004 Oct 28;44(3):483-93.
  15504328