Deciphering molecular pathomechanisms of alpha-tubulin mutation-based neuronal disorders.

• Applicant: Dr. André Voelzmann
• Subject Area: Molecular Biology and Physiology of Neurons and Glial Cells ; Developmental Neurobiology
• Term: from 2014 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 269898187

• Final Report Year: 2017

Final Report Abstract

The DFG grant gave me the opportunity to introduce myself to the fields of neurobiology and cytoskeletal research, allowed me to learn and apply Drosophila primary neuronal cultures, live imaging techniques and analyses, as well as single molecule in situ hybridisation strategies (Stellaris). It allowed me to publish and establish new lines of research that can now be followed up. The studies with tubulin point mutations did not yet yield the kind of data that would allow immediate publication, but the concepts of tubulin availability and the formation of MT plus end complexes has opened up exciting new avenues for research that are being followed up and for which a grant application has been submitted. I expect an at least descriptive publication about the tubulin point mutations and another publication about the formation of MT plus end complexes in the nearer future.

Publications

• (2016) A conceptual view at microtubule plus end dynamics in neuronal axons. Brain Res Bull. 126(Pt 3):226-237
  Voelzmann, André; Hahn, Ines; Pearce, Simon P.; Sánchez-Soriano, Natalia & Prokop, Andreas
  
• (2016) Tau and spectraplakins promote synapse formation and maintenance through Jun kinase and neuronal trafficking. Elife. 5. pii: e14694
  Voelzmann, Andre; Okenve-Ramos, Pilar; Qu, Yue; Chojnowska-Monga, Monika; del Caño-Espinel, Manuela; Prokop, Andreas & Sanchez-Soriano, Natalia
  
• Drosophila Short stop as a paradigm for the role and regulation of spectraplakins. Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2017 Jun 1
  Voelzmann, André; Liew, Yu-Ting; Qu, Yue; Hahn, Ines; Melero, Cristina; Sánchez-Soriano, Natalia & Prokop, Andreas