The controlled release of neurotransmitters at chemical synapses is the principal means by which neurons communicate with one another.
Neurons form neural circuits that process information and control behavior.
We are interested in determining which molecules are required for synaptic communication, analyzing how these molecules work in a simple neural circuit, and understanding how neuronal circuits develop. To address these questions, we have undertaken genetic studies of circuit function in the nematode C. elegans . We have begun our analysis of synaptic function by investigating how ionotropic glutamate receptors contribute to the function of simple neuronal circuits. Using a genetic and molecular approach, we have identified 10 glutamate receptor subtypes and defined their pattern of expression. We have begun to examine their function by generating deletion mutations in each subunit.