GDE Signaling in the Vertebrate Nervous System: Bridging the Gap Between Development and Degeneration

Carol Rifelj Lecture Series

Successful development and healthy aging require proteins that can participate in multiple cellular processes. My research program studies a family of multifunctional enzymes called Glycerophosphodiester Phosphodiesterases (GDEs). Middlebury undergraduates in my laboratory utilize molecular genetic approaches to discover new roles for GDE proteins in the nervous system. In this talk, I will illustrate how GDE signaling is necessary for both the embryonic formation and the long-term health of the nervous system. Our work addresses the misconception that outwardly distinct diseases in different stages of life are unlikely to involve the same cellular mechanisms.