Thesis supervisor: Katalin Schlett
Location of studies (in Hungarian): Neronal Cell Biology Research Group, Dept. Physiology and Neurobiology, ELTE Abbreviation of location of studies: ELTE
Description of the research topic:
Synaptic plasticity greatly depends on the dendritic trafficking of AMPA-type glutamate receptors (AMPARs). Depending on subunit composition and activity, AMPARs cycle in and out of the postsynaptic membrane and regulate synaptic strength. We have convincing evidences that besides regulating actin turnover in dendritic spines, protein kinase D (PKD) activity directs the post-Golgi transport as well as the endocytosis of GluA1 subunits as revealed by surface biotinylation and GluA1-antibody feeding. RIN1, a known neuronal substrate of PKD, has been shown to direct GluA1 endocytosis during chemically evoked LTD via its Rab5 GEF activity (Szíber et al., 2017), but this process proved to be independent from PKD activity (unpublished data). Thus, we aim to decipher how PKD regulates AMPAR turnover by concentrating on Rabaptin5, which is a direct effector of Rab5 small GTPase and a known substrate of PKD. In addition, we will clarify how PKD regulates post-Golgi transport of GluA subunits by concentrating on interactions with Rab8 and Rab11 small GTPases, involved in plasma-membrane directed transport or endosomal recycling of AMPARs, respectively.
Required language skills: English, at least B2 Number of students who can be accepted: 2