Segio Leal-Ortiz, MS
Sergio Leal-Ortiz is a research associate and general lab manager studying the molecular mechanisms regulating the assembly and function of excitatory synapses. His innovative work using lentiviruses and interference RNA (iRNA) is providing exciting novel insights into the functional importance of pre- and postsynaptic proteins. These proteins are crucial to the structural stability and function of mammalian synapses and ultimately a loss of function can lead to cognitive impairment in behavioral and intellectual disabilities such as Down syndrome and Autism.
Publications:
- Leal-Ortiz S., Waites C., Terry-Lorenzo R., Zamarano P., Garner C.C. “Piccolo Modulation of Synapsin1a Dynamics Regulates Presynaptic Function at Glutamatergic Synapses. Journal Cell Biology 2008, in press
- Waites C., Specht C., Genoux D., Leal-Ortiz S., Li D., Montgomery J., Garner C.C. “Alpha and beta SAP97 isoforms differentially regulate the subsynaptic localization of GluR1 subunits of the AMPA receptor at spiny synapse.” Neuron. 2008 under review.
- Leal-Ortiz S., Waites C., Terry-Lorenzo R., Garner C.C. “Critical role for the Bassoon Zinc finger domain in synaptic vesicles translocation”. Nature Neuroscience 2008, In preparation.
- Sabio G., Reuver S., Feijoo C., Hasegawa M., Thomas G.M., Centeno F., Kuhlendahl S., Leal-Ortiz S., Goedert M., Garner C., Cuenda A. Stress- and mitogen-induced phosphorylation of the synapse-associated protein SAP90/PSD-95 by activation of SAPK3/p38gamma and ERK1/ERK2. Biochem J. 2004 May 15;380(Pt 1):19-30