Purkinje cell ablation and Purkinje cell-specific deletion of Tsc1 in the developing cerebellum strengthen cerebellothalamic synapses.

Cerebellar damage early in life often causes long-lasting motor, social and cognitive impairments, suggesting the roles of the cerebellum in developing a broad spectrum of behaviours. This recent finding has promoted research on how cerebellar damage affects the development of the cerebral cortex, the brain region responsible for higher-order control of all behaviours. However, the cerebral cortex is not directly connected to the cerebellum.

A non-conducting role of the Ca1.4 Ca channel drives homeostatic plasticity at the cone photoreceptor synapse.

In congenital stationary night blindness, type 2 (CSNB2)-a disorder involving the Ca1.4 (L-type) Ca channel-visual impairment is mild considering that Ca1.4 mediates synaptic release from rod and cone photoreceptors.

Engineering a human P2X2 receptor with altered ligand selectivity in yeast.

P2X receptors are a family of ligand gated ion channels found in a range of eukaryotic species including humans but are not naturally present in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We demonstrate the first recombinant expression and functional gating of the P2X2 receptor in baker's yeast. We leverage the yeast host for facile genetic screens of mutant P2X2 by performing site saturation mutagenesis at residues of interest, including SNPs implicated in deafness and at residues involved in native binding.

A non-conducting role of the Ca1.4 Ca channel drives homeostatic plasticity at the cone photoreceptor synapse.

In congenital stationary night blindness type 2 (CSNB2)-a disorder involving the Ca1.4 (L-type) Ca channel-visual impairment is mild considering that Ca1.4 mediates synaptic release from rod and cone photoreceptors.