Gary Matthews
Professor
PhD, University of Pennsylvania
Phone: (631)-632-9784
GGMatthews@notes.cc.sunysb.edu
Centers for Molecular Medicine (CMM) Office 334/Lab 335
Lab Personnel:
Diane Henry-Vanisko - Research Technician
Karen Wexler - Research Technician
Fareya Khalid - Research Technician
Lisamarie LoGiudice - Graduate Student
George Zanazzi - Graduate Student
Joerg Leheste - Postdoctoral Fellow
Ana Vega - Postdoctoral Fellow
Sakina Khan - Undergraduate Student
The research in my laboratory is concerned with how cells communicate. One focus of our work is the exocytosis and endocytosis of synaptic vesicles. When vesicles fuse with the plasma membrane during neurotransmitter release, the resulting increase in surface area of the terminal can be measured sensitively and rapidly by monitoring the electrical capacitance of a single terminal. The capacitance declines again as the added vesicle membrane is retrieved by endocytosis, the first step in vesicle recycling. We use capacitance measurements to study the regulation of synaptic exocytosis and endocytosis, in combination with a variety of imaging techniques, including calcium imaging, confocal microscopy, evanescent field microscopy, and electron microscopy.
In another line of research, we are examining the differential targeting of specific subtypes of voltage-dependent sodium channels to different regions of the neuron. Sodium channels are fundamental to neuronal communication because they generate the nerve action potential. We want to know both how and why sodium channel subtypes are differentially targeted. For example, we have found that a particular sodium channel (type 6) is targeted to the initial segment of the axon, whereas a different channel (type 2) is found in the surrounding parts of the axon flanking the initial segment. How are type 6 channels selectively inserted and/or retained at the initial segment? What is the functional significance of the expression of type 6 channels at the initial segment, the site where propagating action potentials arise? We are approaching these questions using a combination of cell biological, anatomical, and molecular techniques. Another aspect of our work on cellular communication is concerned with the physiological roles of cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels in retinal neurons. CNG channels are cation channels that open when they bind intracellular cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP, leading to depolarization and calcium influx, both of which are important cellular signals. We are using molecular biology (single-cell PCR) to identify which CNG channels are expressed in particular retinal neurons, followed by physiological analysis to establish the functional roles of the channels in cellular signaling.
Matthews, G. (2005) Making the retina approachable. Journal of Neurophysiology, 93, 3034-3035. (PubMed)
Van Wart, A., Boiko, T., Trimmer, J.S., and Matthews, G. (2005) Novel clustering of sodium channel Nav1.1 with ankyrin-G and neurofascin at discrete sites in the inner plexiform layer of the retina. Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, 28, 661-673. (PubMed) (PDF)
Sterling, P., and Matthews, G. (2005) Structure and function of ribbon synapses. Trends in Neurosciences, 28, 20-29. (PubMed) (PDF)
Zenisek, D., Horst, N.K., Merrifield, C., Sterling, P., and Matthews, G. (2004) Visualizing synaptic ribbons in the living cell. Journal of Neuroscience, 24, 9752-9759. (PubMed) (PDF) Matthews, G. (2004) Cycling the synapse: Scenic versus direct routes for vesicles. Neuron, 44, 223-226. (PubMed) (PDF) Heidelberger, R., and Matthews, G. (2004) Vesicle priming and depriming: A SNAP decision. Neuron, 41, 311-313. (PubMed)
Paillart, C., Li, J., Matthews, G., and Sterling, P. (2003) Endocytosis and vesicle recycling at a ribbon synapse. Journal of Neuroscience, 23, 4092-4099. (PubMed) (PDF)
Boiko, T., Van Wart, A., Caldwell, J.H., Levinson, S.R., Trimmer, J.S., and Matthews, G. (2003) Functional specialization of the axon initial segment by isoform-specific sodium channel targeting. Journal of Neuroscience, 23, 2306-2313. (PubMed) (PDF)
Henry, D., Burke, S., Shishido, E., and Matthews, G. (2003) Retinal bipolar neurons express the cyclic nucleotide-gated channel of cone photoreceptors. Journal of Neurophysiology, 89, 754-761. (PubMed) (PDF)
Boiko, T., Rasband, M.N., Levinson, S.R., Caldwell, J.H., Mandel, G., Trimmer, J.S., and Matthews, G. (2001) Compact myelin dictates the differential targeting of two sodium channel isoforms in the same axon. Neuron, 30, 91-104. (PubMed) (PDF)
Textbooks of neurobiology:
Matthews, G. (2001) Neurobiology: Molecules, Cells, and Systems. Second Edition Blackwell Science: Malden, Mass.
Matthews, G. (2002) Cellular Physiology of Nerve and Muscle, Fourth Edition. Blackwell Science: Malden, Mass.
Matthews, G. (2000) Introduction to Neuroscience. Blackwell Science: Malden, Mass.
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