Cell & Developmental Biology
Open Access

Heng-Ye Man

Biography

Research Interest

 The modification in synaptic strength, or synaptic plasticity, is believed to be the molecular mechanism underpinning higher brain functions such as learning and memory. Therefore, it is of crucial importance to understand how synaptic transmission is regulated. Because information is transferred across the synapse via the binding neurotransmitters to their receptors, the localization and amount of receptors at the postsynaptic site is a major determinant of synaptic efficacy. Glutamatergic AMPA receptors (AMPARs) mediate the vast majority of excitatory synaptic transmission in the brain. It has been demonstrated that AMPARs are not static on the synaptic membrane; rather, they recycle continuously between the plasma membrane and the intracellular compartments. AMPARs are inserted to the plasma membrane via SNARE-mediated vesicle fusion and are internalized through clathrin-coated pit pathways. Alterations in AMPAR trafficking processes will lead to changes in synaptic receptor numbers and thus the strength of synaptic transmission. The main focus of our lab is to understand the cellular/molecular mechanisms underlying AMPAR synaptic localization and synaptic plasticity. The questions we address include: What molecules and signaling pathways determine AMPAR synaptic localization? How does neuronal activity regulate AMPA receptor trafficking and expression? How does the neuron maintain a specific amount of total receptors? How are receptors degraded and what regulates the rate of turnover? Using cultured cortical and hippocampal neurons and brain slices, we study receptor trafficking and synaptic transmission by employing a wide range of techniques including immunocytochemistry, confocal/fluorescence microscopy, live-imaging, biochemistry (western blotting, immunoprecipitation), and electrophysiology (patch clamp recording).