Prasanna Sakha

University of Helsinki | HY · Neuroscience Center

Kainate type of glutamate receptors (KARs) are highly expressed during early brain development and may influence refinement of the circuitry, via modulating synaptic transmission and plasticity. KARs are also localized to axons, however, their exact roles in regulating presynaptic processes remain controversial. Here, we have used a microfluidic ch...

Studying the formation and function of neuronal circuitry is complicated by the heterogeneity and high density of neuronal processes and synapses. Compartmentalized cell culture systems offer a simple yet powerful solution for isolation of axons from dendrites and cell somas. This chapter describes how to manufacture and use a microfluidic chip wit...

Amyloid-β precursor protein (APP) plays a central role in pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. APP has a short half-life and undergoes complex proteolytic processing that is highly responsive to various stimuli such as changes in cellular lipid or energy homeostasis. Cellular trafficking of APP is controlled by its large protein interactome, includ...

The interface between engineering and molecular life sciences has been fertile ground for advancing our understanding of complex biological systems. Engineered microstructures offer a diverse toolbox for cellular and molecular biologists to direct the placement of cells and small organisms, and to recreate biological functions in vitro: cells can b...

A microfluidic chip for culturing neurons and spatially isolating axons from somas is presented for use with visually guided whole-cell electrophysiological measurements. A modular design consisting of detachable and re-sealable layers is used to satisfy the requirements of both long-term neuron culturing as well as electrophysiological measurement...

Kainate-type glutamate receptors (KARs) regulate synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability via multiple mechanisms, depending on their subunit composition. Presynaptic KARs tonically depress glutamatergic transmission during restricted period of synapse development; however, the molecular basis behind this effect is unknown. Here, we show tha...

Supplementary Figure

Abnormal phosphorylation and aggregation of the microtubule-associated protein Tau are hallmarks of various neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer disease. Molecular mechanisms that regulate Tau phosphorylation are complex and currently incompletely understood. We have developed a novel live cell reporter system based on protein-fragment com...