Ben Barres

Administrative Appointments

• Chair, Stanford University School of Medicine - Neurobiology , (2008– present )

Postdoctoral Advisees

• Dritan Agalliu, Won Suck Chung, Ben Emery, Andrew Huberman, Alexander Stephan, Junryo Watanabe, Jennifer Zamanian

Research Interests

THE MYSTERY AND MAGIC OF GLIA

We are interested in the development and function of glial cells in the mammalian central nervous system. To understand the interactions between neurons and glial cells we have developed methods to highly purify and culture retinal ganglion cells (neurons) as well as the glial cell types they interact with, oligodendrocytes and astrocytes, from the rodent optic nerve. We are using a large variety of methods to address these issues including cell purification by immunopanning, tissue culture, patch clamping, immunohistochemistry and molecular biology. Currently, we are focusing on several questions:

(1) What are the cell-cell interactions that control myelination and node of Ranvier formation?

(2) Do glial cells play a role in synapse formation and function?

(3) What are the signals that promote the survival and growth of retinal ganglion cells and can we use this knowledge to promote their survival and regeneration after injury?

(4) How do protoplasmic astrocytes, the main glial cell type in gray matter, develop and what is their function?.

We have found evidence of several novel glial signals that induce the onset of myelination, the clustering of axonal sodium channels, the survival and growth of retinal ganglion cells, and the formation of synapses. We are characterizing these processes and are attempting to identify these glial-derived molecules.

Publications

• Selective remodeling: refining neural connectivity at the neuromuscular junction. Chung WS,  Barres BA.  PLoS Biol.  2009; 7 (8): e1000185
• Wnt/beta-catenin signaling is required for CNS, but not non-CNS, angiogenesis. Daneman R,  Agalliu D, Zhou L, Kuhnert F, Kuo CJ, Barres BA.  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.  2009; 106 (2): 641-6
• Genetic identification of an On-Off direction-selective retinal ganglion cell subtype reveals a layer-specific subcortical map of posterior motion. Huberman AD,  Wei W, Elstrott J, Stafford BK, Feller MB, Barres BA.  Neuron.  2009; 62 (3): 327-34
• Myelin gene regulatory factor is a critical transcriptional regulator required for CNS myelination. Emery B,  Agalliu D, Cahoy JD, Watkins TA, Dugas JC, Mulinyawe SB, Ibrahim A, Ligon KL, Rowitch DH, Barres BA.  Cell.  2009; 138 (1): 172-85
• Gabapentin receptor alpha2delta-1 is a neuronal thrombospondin receptor responsible for excitatory CNS synaptogenesis. Eroglu C,  Allen NJ, Susman MW, O'Rourke NA, Park CY, Ozkan E, Chakraborty C, Mulinyawe SB, Annis DS, Huberman AD, Green EM, Lawler J, Dolmetsch R, Garcia KC, Smith SJ, Luo ZD, Rosenthal A, Mosher DF, Barres BA.  Cell.  2009; 139 (2): 380-92
• Unlocking CNS cell type heterogeneity. Emery B,  Barres BA.  Cell.  2008; 135 (4): 596-8
• Distinct stages of myelination regulated by gamma-secretase and astrocytes in a rapidly myelinating CNS coculture system. Watkins TA,  Emery B, Mulinyawe S, Barres BA.  Neuron.  2008; 60 (4): 555-69
• A transcriptome database for astrocytes, neurons, and oligodendrocytes: a new resource for understanding brain development and function. Cahoy JD,  Emery B, Kaushal A, Foo LC, Zamanian JL, Christopherson KS, Xing Y, Lubischer JL, Krieg PA, Krupenko SA, Thompson WJ, Barres BA.  J Neurosci.  2008; 28 (1): 264-78
• Architecture and activity-mediated refinement of axonal projections from a mosaic of genetically identified retinal ganglion cells. Huberman AD,  Manu M, Koch SM, Susman MW, Lutz AB, Ullian EM, Baccus SA, Barres BA.  Neuron.  2008; 59 (3): 425-38
• A novel purification method for CNS projection neurons leads to the identification of brain vascular cells as a source of trophic support for corticospinal motor neurons. Dugas JC,  Mandemakers W, Rogers M, Ibrahim A, Daneman R, Barres BA.  J Neurosci.  2008; 28 (33): 8294-305
• The mystery and magic of glia: a perspective on their roles in health and disease. Barres BA,  Neuron.  2008; 60 (3): 430-40
• Why is Wallerian degeneration in the CNS so slow? Vargas ME,  Barres BA.  Annu Rev Neurosci.  2007; 30 153-79
• Disease gene candidates revealed by expression profiling of retinal ganglion cell development. Wang JT,  Kunzevitzky NJ, Dugas JC, Cameron M, Barres BA, Goldberg JL.  J Neurosci.  2007; 27 (32): 8593-603
• A crucial role for p57(Kip2) in the intracellular timer that controls oligodendrocyte differentiation. Dugas JC,  Ibrahim A, Barres BA.  J Neurosci.  2007; 27 (23): 6185-96
• The classical complement cascade mediates CNS synapse elimination. Stevens B,  Allen NJ, Vazquez LE, Howell GR, Christopherson KS, Nouri N, Micheva KD, Mehalow AK, Huberman AD, Stafford B, Sher A, Litke AM, Lambris JD, Smith SJ, John SW, Barres BA.  Cell.  2007; 131 (6): 1164-78
• Functional genomic analysis of oligodendrocyte differentiation. Dugas JC,  Tai YC, Speed TP, Ngai J, Barres BA.  J Neurosci.  2006; 26 (43): 10967-83
• The blood-brain barrier--lessons from moody flies. Daneman R,  Barres BA.  Cell.  2005; 123 (1): 9-12
• Thrombospondins are astrocyte-secreted proteins that promote CNS synaptogenesis. Christopherson KS,  Ullian EM, Stokes CC, Mullowney CE, Hell JW, Agah A, Lawler J, Mosher DF, Bornstein P, Barres BA.  Cell.  2005; 120 (3): 421-33
• Axon regeneration: it's getting crowded at the gates of TROY. Mandemakers WJ,  Barres BA.  Curr Biol.  2005; 15 (8): R302-5
• Signaling between glia and neurons: focus on synaptic plasticity. Allen NJ,  Barres BA.  Curr Opin Neurobiol.  2005; 15 (5): 542-8
• Schwann cells and astrocytes induce synapse formation by spinal motor neurons in culture. Ullian EM,  Harris BT, Wu A, Chan JR, Barres BA.  Mol Cell Neurosci.  2004; 25 (2): 241-51
• An oligodendrocyte lineage-specific semaphorin, Sema5A, inhibits axon growth by retinal ganglion cells. Goldberg JL,  Vargas ME, Wang JT, Mandemakers W, Oster SF, Sretavan DW, Barres BA.  J Neurosci.  2004; 24 (21): 4989-99
• Role for glia in synaptogenesis. Ullian EM,  Christopherson KS, Barres BA.  Glia.  2004; 47 (3): 209-16
• Invulnerability of retinal ganglion cells to NMDA excitotoxicity. Ullian EM,  Barkis WB, Chen S, Diamond JS, Barres BA.  Mol Cell Neurosci.  2004; 26 (4): 544-57
• NGF controls axonal receptivity to myelination by Schwann cells or oligodendrocytes. Chan JR,  Watkins TA, Cosgaya JM, Zhang C, Chen L, Reichardt LF, Shooter EM, Barres BA.  Neuron.  2004; 43 (2): 183-91
• Inhibition of retinal ganglion cell regeneration by oligodendrocyte derived semaphorin 5A Goldberg J,  Vargas M, Mandemakers W, Barres BA.  J. NEUROSCI.  2004; 24 4989-99
• What is a glial cell? Barres BA,  Glia.  2003; 43 (1): 4-5
• Importance of intrinsic mechanisms in cell fate decisions in the developing rat retina. Cayouette M,  Barres BA, Raff M.  Neuron.  2003; 40 (5): 897-904
• An Irreversible, Neonatal Switch from Axonal to Dendritic Growth in the Developing CNS. Goldberg, J,  R. Daneman, Y. Hua, and BA Barres.  SCIENCE.  2002; 296 1860-4
• Retinal ganglion cells do not extend axons by default: promotion by neurotrophic signaling and electrical activity. Goldberg JL,  Espinosa JS, Xu Y, Davidson N, Kovacs GT, Barres BA.  Neuron.  2002; 33 (5): 689-702
• Nerve regeneration: regrowth stumped by shared receptor. Watkins TA,  Barres BA.  Curr Biol.  2002; 12 (19): R654-6
• Amacrine-signaled loss of intrinsic axon growth ability by retinal ganglion cells. Goldberg JL,  Klassen MP, Hua Y, Barres BA.  Science.  2002; 296 (5574): 1860-4
• A role for the helix-loop-helix protein Id2 in the control of oligodendrocyte development. Wang S,  Sdrulla A, Johnson JE, Yokota Y, Barres BA.  Neuron.  2001; 29 (3): 603-14
• Differential control of clustering of the sodium channels Na(v)1.2 and Na(v)1.6 at developing CNS nodes of Ranvier. Kaplan MR,  Cho MH, Ullian EM, Isom LL, Levinson SR, Barres BA.  Neuron.  2001; 30 (1): 105-19
• Neurobiology. Cholesterol--making or breaking the synapse. Barres BA,  Smith SJ.  Science.  2001; 294 (5545): 1296-7
• Induction of astrocyte differentiation by endothelial cells. Mi H,  Haeberle H, Barres BA.  J Neurosci.  2001; 21 (5): 1538-47
• Control of synapse number by glia. Ullian EM,  Sapperstein SK, Christopherson KS, Barres BA.  Science.  2001; 291 (5504): 657-61
• The relationship between neuronal survival and regeneration. Goldberg JL,  Barres BA.  Annu Rev Neurosci.  2000; 23 579-612
• Up a notch: instructing gliogenesis. Wang S,  Barres BA.  Neuron.  2000; 27 (2): 197-200
• Neuronal and glial cell biology. Barres BA,  Barde Y.  Curr Opin Neurobiol.  2000; 10 (5): 642-8
• Astrocytes induce oligodendrocyte processes to align with and adhere to axons. Meyer-Franke A,  Shen S, Barres BA.  Mol Cell Neurosci.  1999 Oct-Nov; 14 (4-5): 385-97
• Purification and characterization of astrocyte precursor cells in the developing rat optic nerve. Mi H,  Barres BA.  J Neurosci.  1999; 19 (3): 1049-61
• A new role for glia: generation of neurons! Barres BA,  Cell.  1999; 97 (6): 667-70
• Axonal control of oligodendrocyte development. Barres BA,  Raff MC.  J Cell Biol.  1999; 147 (6): 1123-8
• The Schwann song of the glia-less synapse. Ullian EM,  Barres BA.  Neuron.  1998; 21 (4): 651-2
• Cyclic AMP elevation is sufficient to promote the survival of spinal motor neurons in vitro. Hanson MG,  Shen S, Wiemelt AP, McMorris FA, Barres BA.  J Neurosci.  1998; 18 (18): 7361-71
• Neuronal regeneration: extending axons from bench to brain. Goldberg JL,  Barres BA.  Curr Biol.  1998; 8 (9): R310-2
• Purification and characterization of adult oligodendrocyte precursor cells from the rat optic nerve. Shi J,  Marinovich A, Barres BA.  J Neurosci.  1998; 18 (12): 4627-36
• Retinal development: communication helps you see the light. Wechsler-Reya RJ,  Barres BA.  Curr Biol.  1997; 7 (7): R433-6
• Ciliary neurotrophic factor enhances the rate of oligodendrocyte generation. Barres BA,  Burne JF, Holtmann B, Thoenen H, Sendtner M, Raff MC.  Mol Cell Neurosci.  1996; 8 (2-3): 146-56
• Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor Enhances the Rate of Oligodendrocyte Generation Barres BA,  Burne JF, Holtmann B, Thoenen H, Sendtner M, Raff MC.  Mol Cell Neurosci.  1996; 8 (2/3): 146-56
• New views on synapse-glia interactions. Pfrieger FW,  Barres BA.  Curr Opin Neurobiol.  1996; 6 (5): 615-21
• What the fly's glia tell the fly's brain. Pfrieger FW,  Barres BA.  Cell.  1995; 83 (5): 671-4
• Characterization of the signaling interactions that promote the survival and growth of developing retinal ganglion cells in culture. Meyer-Franke A,  Kaplan MR, Pfrieger FW, Barres BA.  Neuron.  1995; 15 (4): 805-19
• Axon myelination. Myelination without myelin-associated glycoprotein. Meyer-Franke A,  Barres B.  Curr Biol.  1994; 4 (9): 847-50