George J. Augustine, Ph.D. George J. Augustine, Ph.D. Dr. Augustine's lab is interested in the function of synaptic connections between nerve cells, in particular the role of calcium ions. Experiments in the lab employ electrophysiological and optical imaging methods to study the activity of single synapses.
Attention is focused on two questions.
First, Dr. Augustine and his colleagues are examining the role of calcium ions in the triggering of neurotransmitter release. The lab's previous work has characterized the entry of Ca into presynaptic terminals, via voltage-gated Ca channels, and the rise in presynaptic Ca concentration that follows this entry. Presently the lab is exploring the molecular mechanisms that transduce the rise in Ca concentration into the exocytotic secretion of neurotransmitters, focusing on the possible roles of various synaptic vesicle proteins. Second, they are examine the role of Ca ions in mediating long-term synaptic depression in the cerebellum. The lab has found that this form of neural plasticity, which is thought to be a neural substrate for certain forms of learning, is caused by a brief rise in Ca concentration in the postsynaptic Purkinje neurons.