Thomas R. Clandinin
Title
Assistant Professor
Department
Neurobiology
Research Interests
Molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of specific patterns of
neuronal connections in the fly visual system; genetic analysis of motion
detection.
Email
trc@stanford.edu
Phone
723-7556
Fax
725-3958
Address
Fairchild D237
Mail Code: 5125
Faculty Research Description
Animal behavior, the functional output of the nervous system, is strongly
influenced by the precise pattern of connections that each neuron makes.
How these connections are specified during development is of interest
because of the complexity and specificity of the pattern: both the number
of neurons involved and the number of precise contacts they can form are
astounding. The molecular mechanisms that control this synaptic specificity
are poorly understood. My laboratory uses specific visual behavioral assays
to identify and characterize genes that control synaptic specificity using
photoreceptor axons in the fruit fly Drosophila as a model.
Drosophila photoreceptor axons form a precise and complex pattern of connections that allows photoreceptor cells that look at the same point in space to converge on the same post-synaptic targets. Remarkably, this pattern of connections appears to form through a genetically hard-wired process that is independent of visual input. One major focus in the lab is to understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie the development of these connections.
A second focus in the lab is to understand the interplay between specific neuronal connections and the behavioral output of the animal. The lab is developing high-resolution "lesioning" methods in which visual behavioral paradigms, like motion detection, are used to test mosaic animals in which the functions of only a few specific neurons are disrupted. This work will identify the circuit of neurons required to mediate particular behaviors and will allow specific sets of synapses to be assigned functions in relation to particular aspects of each behavior.
Clandinin, T.R.*, Lee, C-H.*, Herman, T., Lee, R., Yang, A.Y., Ovasapyan, S. (2001). Drosophila LAR regulates R1-R6 and R7 target specificity in the visual system. Neuron, 32:237-248.
Lee, C-H.*, Herman T.*, Clandinin, T.R.*, Lee, R. and Zipursky, S.L. (2001). N-cadherin regulates synaptic specificity in the Drosophila visual system. Neuron, 30:437-450.
Clandinin, T.R. and Zipursky, S.L. (2000). Afferent growth cone interactions control synaptic specificity in the Drosophila visual system. Neuron 28:427-436.
Salecker, I., Clandinin, T.R. and Zipursky, S.L. (1998). Hedgehog and Spitz: Making a match between photoreceptor axons and their targets. Cell 95:587-590.
Areas of Study
Developmental Neurobiology
Molecular Neurobiology
Behavioral Neuroscience
SBRC
PhD