Grant: Operating Grant

Synapses are highly specialized regions of cell-cell contact designed to rapidly and efficiently relay signals from one neuron to another. By establishing a dynamic yet precise network of synaptic connections, the brain is able to attain a level of functional complexity that enables not only simple motor tasks, but also sophisticated emotional and cognitive behaviours. Previous work has implicated cadherin adhesion molecules in the appropriate development of neural circuitry. This proposal aims to understand how cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion is modified in response to neuronal activity, and how regulation of cadherin-based adhesion impacts synapse function. We will specifically examine the role of two cadherin intracellular binding proteins, delta-catenin and beta-catenin, in regulating cadherin-based adhesion and synapse function. Perturbations in the function of cadherin and their associated catenins are closely tied to many neurological and psychiatric diseases including Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases, schizophrenia and drug addictions. This underscores the importance of studying this adhesion complex in the context of brain development and function.