A.B. Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania Molecular Biology, University Pennsylvania M.D. University of Pennsylvania Research Synopsis Mechanisms of synaptic transmission. In my laboratory we combine electrical, optical, and molecular biology techniques to study mechanisms of synaptic transmission.
Transporters are proteins that move transmitters in both directions across cell membranes.
In most neurons, transporters function to uptake transmitters after release. However, in some neurons transporters also operate in the opposite direction and function in the release of transmitter. A cell s membrane voltage controls the balance between uptake and release. Experiments on cloned transporters are designed to reveal the exact mechanism of how a transporter protein moves a transmitter molecule across a membrane. The control of vesicle cycling has been studied by recording the synaptic signal transmitted between identified cells is a retinal slice.