Oleg Shupliakov, Dr. Med. Sci., Ph.D.

Laboratory of Neuronal Membrane Trafficking

Research Focus

We are interested in endocytosis, the molecular mechanism controlling plasma membrane uptake, and we are aiming to understand how this process is involved in maintaining cellular homeostasis, development and signaling in neuronal cells. Endocytosis occurs at specialized sites in the plasma membrane and involves specific lipids and proteins. The interaction of these components leads to an invagination of the membrane, expansion of the membrane into the cell cytoplasm, and finally to scission of the formed membrane bud and the formation of a transport vesicle. We focus our studies on the analysis of the signaling mechanisms, which control the onset of the endocytic process and the recruitment of proteins to endocytic sites.

Three different model systems are currently used in our laboratory: the giant reticulospinal axon in lamprey, which contains large endocytic zones surrounding synapses, which allows for the acute perturbation of proteins by microinjection of compounds that can selectively perturb protein-protein and protein-lipid interactions; the neuromuscular junction in Drosophila; and primary neuronal cultures. The latter two models allow for studies of the effects of mutations, the use of RNA silencing techniques, and the genetic deletion of proteins as well as live cell imaging of constitutively expressed fluorescence-tagged molecules. Electron microscopy is also widely used to visualize endocytic intermediates and molecules.

The laboratory is a part of the Linné Centre for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine (DBRM).

• Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine (DBRM)

Selected Publications