RNAs serve as the fundamental blueprints for protein expression and are meticulously regulated both spatially and temporally within cells, ensuring precise control of protein levels. This control is especially crucial in cells with complex and polarized structures, such as neurons, where the synapses that are the points of information transfer and storage in the brain, can be far away from the cell body.

Delivering proteins to the synapses poses a significant challenge and the neuron addresses this problem by localizing messenger RNAs (mRNAs) to the right place and at the right time. This strategic compartmentalization of gene expression allows neurons to synthesize proteins exactly when and where they are needed, ensuring proper synapse development and plasticity, and, consequently, brain functions related to learning and memory.  Dysregulation of mRNA localization and local translation has been associated with many neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders, including autism and intellectual disabilities.

 

We seek to understand how mRNAs critical for memory formation and storage are regulated in space and time, and the mechanisms that govern their transcription and translation control in response to neuronal activity. Our approach is to visualize the life cycle of mRNAs in neurons at single-molecule resolution and in real time by utilizing state-of-the-art imaging technologies, RNA and protein tagging methods, optogenetics, and knock-in mouse models. By taking a high-resolution dive into RNA biology and neuroscience, we aim to uncover novel insights into gene expression regulation in neuronal health and diseases.