The main emphasis of the research in the laboratory is on the fundamental principles that regulate signaling via G protein coupled receptors (GPCR). GPCRs mediate a vast variety of critical biological processes ranging from proliferation and motility to cellular reception and excitability. GPCR signaling pathways are of particular importance for the nervous system function where they control many fundamental processes including excitability, differentiation, sensory perception, and synaptic transmission. Importantly, but not surprisingly, even a subtle imbalance in GPCR signaling often leads to the most profound nervous system disorders ranging from blindness and cognitive problems to grave neurological diseases.
Specifically, our laboratory is interested in understanding the intricate regulatory dynamics of G protein pathways in the following two neuronal systems.
Research directions in the laboratory include discovery and characterization of novel G protein regulators, delineation of protein-protein interactions, feedback mechanisms, and logistics of signaling pathway organization. In our research, we use a range of multidisciplinary approaches involving identification of components of signaling complexes by proteomics, measurement of protein functional activity by in vitro enzyme kinetics, analysis of synthesis, trafficking and degradation of signaling proteins in cell culture and behavioral characterization of genetic mouse models with altered components of G protein signaling machinery.