Neuronal Substrates Required for Synapse Maintenance

Overview: The focus of this project is to examine substrates of synaptically localized chaperones and palmitoylation machinery and how they impact synaptic structure and function. Spurred by our progress in the last granting period, we have begun examining how palmitoylation dynamics influences glutamergic and dopaminergic transmission and vice versa. We propose to examine how synaptic protein palmitoylation is affected by neuronal activity, with a focus on palmitoylated chaperones. To achieve this goal, we will carry out LFQ experiments in synaptic preparations from knockout mice for key components of the palmitoylation and chaperone machinery under conditions when neuronal activity is either silenced or stimulated. This topic is directly relevant to the Center’s theme and that of NIDA.