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Sreeganga Chandra, PhD

Associate Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience; Associate Professor, Neurology; Associate Professor of Neuroscience

Contact Information

Sreeganga Chandra, PhD

Mailing Address

  • 295 Congress Avenue

    BCMM 154D

    New Haven, CT 06536

    United States

Chandra Lab

Research Summary

My lab explores two related themes, those of synapse loss and neurodegeneration. Synapse loss is an early, defining event in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease. In these prolonged diseases, decreases in synapse density are the best correlates of disease progression.Yet, little is known about the pathways that maintain synapses and their roles in aging and neurodegeneration. We are characterizing familial neurodegeneration genes that encode synaptic proteins to understand this important step in disease pathogenesis. Our lab uses mouse models as well as iPSC derived neuronal models in combination with biochemical, cell biological and in vivo approaches to tackle these important questions.

Specialized Terms:

  • Presynaptic Biology
  • Synapse Maintenance
  • Parkinson's Disease
  • Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis
  • Neurodegeneration

Extensive Research Description

  • Role of the endolysosomal pathway in Parkinson's disease
  • Protein palmitoylation and neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis
  • Identification of the physiological function of synucleins
  • Role of CSP alpha in synapse maintenance
  • Identification of novel synapse maintenance genes

Coauthors

Research Interests

Neurology; Neuronal Ceroid-Lipofuscinoses; Parkinson Disease; Synapses; Receptors, Presynaptic; Neurodegenerative Diseases

Research Images

Many genes in the endolysosomal pathway are genetically linked to Parkinson's disease. We are investigating several genes that function in synaptic vesicle endocytosis.

Selected Publications

  • Glucosylsphingosine Promotes α-Synuclein Pathology in Mutant GBA-Associated Parkinson's Disease.Taguchi YV, Liu J, Ruan J, Pacheco J, Zhang X, Abbasi J, Keutzer J, Mistry PK, Chandra SS. Glucosylsphingosine Promotes α-Synuclein Pathology in Mutant GBA-Associated Parkinson's Disease. The Journal Of Neuroscience : The Official Journal Of The Society For Neuroscience 2017, 37:9617-9631.
  • Synucleins Have Multiple Effects on Presynaptic Architecture.Vargas KJ, Schrod N, Davis T, Fernandez-Busnadiego R, Taguchi YV, Laugks U, Lucic V, Chandra SS. Synucleins Have Multiple Effects on Presynaptic Architecture. Cell Reports 2017, 18:161-173.
  • Synucleins regulate the kinetics of synaptic vesicle endocytosis.Vargas KJ, Makani S, Davis T, Westphal CH, Castillo PE, Chandra SS. Synucleins regulate the kinetics of synaptic vesicle endocytosis. The Journal Of Neuroscience : The Official Journal Of The Society For Neuroscience 2014, 34:9364-76.
  • Identification of CSPα clients reveals a role in dynamin 1 regulation.Zhang YQ, Henderson MX, Colangelo CM, Ginsberg SD, Bruce C, Wu T, Chandra SS. Identification of CSPα clients reveals a role in dynamin 1 regulation. Neuron 2012, 74:136-50.
  • Alpha-synuclein cooperates with CSPalpha in preventing neurodegeneration.Chandra S, Gallardo G, Fernández-Chacón R, Schlüter OM, Südhof TC. Alpha-synuclein cooperates with CSPalpha in preventing neurodegeneration. Cell 2005, 123:383-96.
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