Cindy Ly

Contact Information

Research Interests

Neuronal communication occurs through the release of chemical messengers across the synaptic cleft and their impingement upon corresponding post-synaptic receptors. These messengers are stored within vesicles at the pre-synaptic terminal and are released by vesicle fusion to the plasma membrane. Vesicles are additionally endocytosed and reloaded with transmitter for further rounds of use. I am interested in the mechanisms underlying synaptic vesicle release and retrieval. Recently, an eyFLP-based screen within the lab isolated a number of mutants defective in neurotransmission. We are in the process of mapping the affected genes and identifying the steps of the synaptic vesicle cycle that may be impaired in these mutants using an array of methods including immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, electrophysiology, FM1-43 uptake, and calcium imaging.

Publications

Ly CV, Yao CK, Verstreken P, Ohyama T, Bellen HJ (2008) straightjacket is required for the synaptic stabilization of cacophony, a voltage gated calcium channel α1 subunit. Journal of Cell Biology 181:157-170.

Romero E, Cha GH, Verstreken P, Ly CV, Hughes RE, Bellen HJ, Botas J (2008) Suppression of neurodegeneration and increased neurotransmission caused by expanded full-length huntingtin accumulating in the cytoplasm. Neuron 57:27-40.

Ohyama T, Verstreken P, Ly CV, Rosenmund T, Rajan A, Tien AC, Haueter C, Schulze KL, Bellen HJ (2007) Huntingtin-interacting protein 14, a palmitoyl transferase required for exocytosis and targeting of CSP to synaptic vesicles. Journal of Cell Biology 179:1481-1496.

Ly CV, Verstreken P (2006) Mitochondria at the synapse. The Neuroscientist 12:291-299.

Verstreken P, Ly CV, Venken KJ, Koh TW, Zhou Y, Bellen HJ (2005) Synaptic mitochondria are critical for mobilization of reserve pool vesicles at Drosophila neuromuscular junctions. Neuron 47:365-378.