Synaptic Transmission Section - Division of Intramural Research
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Ling-Gang Wu M.D., Ph.D., Senior Investigator
Dr. Wu received his M.D. in 1985 from Second Military Medical College, Shanghai, and his Ph.D. in neuroscience in 1994 from Baylor College of Medicine, where he worked with Peter Saggau studying the role of presynaptic voltage-dependent calcium channels in controlling transmitter release. From 1994 to 1996 he did postdoctoral training with William J. Betz at the University of Colorado Medical School, where he studied the kinetic regulation of endocytosis at frog neuromuscular junctions using FM dye imaging. From 1996 to 1999 he a second postdoctoral fellowship with Bert Sakmann at the Max Planck Institute in Heidelberg, Germany, where he identified calcium channel types and studied the presynaptic mechanisms underlying short-term synaptic depression at a giant nerve terminal, the calyx of Held in rat brainstem. From 1999 to 2003 he was an assistant professor at Washington University in St. Louis, where his laboratory applied capacitance recording techniques to study regulation of the kinetics of endocytosis at the calyx of Held. Dr. Wu joined NINDS as an investigator in 2003 and was promoted to senior investigator in 2007. His laboratory is using electrophysiological, imaging, as well as biochemical and molecular biological techniques, to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying generation and regulation of endocytosis and synaptic plasticity at the calyx-type synapse.
Laboratory Staff
Li Bai, M.S. Technician 301-451- 3332
Abdeladim Elhamdani, Ph.D. Research Fellow 301-451- 3356
Junmei Fan, Ph.D. Visiting Fellow 301-594- 1287
Liming He, Ph.D. Research Fellow 301-451- 3358
Benjamin McNeil, B.S. Graduate Student 301-451- 2284
Kenneth Paradiso, Ph.D. Research Fellow 301-451- 3341
Jiansong Sheng, Visiting Fellow 301-451- 3334
Wonchul Shin, Visiting Fellow 301-451- 3335
Tao Sun, Ph.D. Visiting Fellow 301-451- 3339
Xin-Sheng Wu, Ph.D. Research Fellow 301-451- 3345
Jianhua Xu, Ph.D. Research Fellow 301-451- 3340
Lei Xue, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow 301-451- 3357
Research Interests
Neurons communicate with each other via chemical synaptic transmission. Regulation of the strength of synaptic transmission plays essential roles in many physiological and pathological processes, such as control of neuronal network outputs, neuronal development, learning and memory, and neurological diseases. It remains poorly understood how synaptic strength is controlled at nerve terminals. Filling this gap of knowledge is the goal of the Synaptic Transmission Unit. Selected Recent PublicationsXu J, McNeil B, Wu W, Nees D, Bai L, Wu LG.
GTP-independent rapid and slow endocytosis at a central synapse - Nat Neurosci. 11(1) 45-53 2008 He L, Wu LG.
The debate on the kiss-and-run fusion at synapses. - Trends in Neuroscience 30(9) 447-55 2007 Wu LG, Ryan TA, Lagnado L.
Modes of vesicle retrieval at ribbon synapses, calyx-type synapses, and small central synapses - J Neurosci. 27(44) 11793-802 2007 Xu J, He L, Wu LG.
Role of Ca(2+) channels in short-term synaptic plasticity. - Curr Opin Neurobiol. 17(3) 352-9 2007 He L, Wu XS, Mohan R, and Wu LG.
Two modes of fusion pore openings revealed by cell-attached recordings at a synapse - Nature 444 102-105 2006 Xu J and Wu LG
The decrease in the presynaptic calcium current is a major cause of short-term depression at a calyx-type synapse. - Neuron 46 633-645 2005
Contact Information
Synaptic Transmission Section, NINDS Porter Neuroscience Research Center Building 35, Room 2B-1012 35 Convent Drive, MSC 3706 Bethesda MD 20892-3706
Telephone: 301-451- 3338 (office), 301- 451-3338 (laboratory), 301-480- 1466 (fax), Email: wul@ninds.nih.gov
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Ling-Gang Wu M.D., Ph.D., Senior Investigator
Dr. Wu received his M.D. in 1985 from Second Military Medical College, Shanghai, and his Ph.D. in neuroscience in 1994 from Baylor College of Medicine, where he worked with Peter Saggau studying the role of presynaptic voltage-dependent calcium channels in controlling transmitter release. From 1994 to 1996 he did postdoctoral training with William J. Betz at the University of Colorado Medical School, where he studied the kinetic regulation of endocytosis at frog neuromuscular junctions using FM dye imaging. From 1996 to 1999 he a second postdoctoral fellowship with Bert Sakmann at the Max Planck Institute in Heidelberg, Germany, where he identified calcium channel types and studied the presynaptic mechanisms underlying short-term synaptic depression at a giant nerve terminal, the calyx of Held in rat brainstem. From 1999 to 2003 he was an assistant professor at Washington University in St. Louis, where his laboratory applied capacitance recording techniques to study regulation of the kinetics of endocytosis at the calyx of Held. Dr. Wu joined NINDS as an investigator in 2003 and was promoted to senior investigator in 2007. His laboratory is using electrophysiological, imaging, as well as biochemical and molecular biological techniques, to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying generation and regulation of endocytosis and synaptic plasticity at the calyx-type synapse.
Laboratory Staff
Li Bai, M.S. Technician 301-451- 3332
Abdeladim Elhamdani, Ph.D. Research Fellow 301-451- 3356
Junmei Fan, Ph.D. Visiting Fellow 301-594- 1287
Liming He, Ph.D. Research Fellow 301-451- 3358
Benjamin McNeil, B.S. Graduate Student 301-451- 2284
Kenneth Paradiso, Ph.D. Research Fellow 301-451- 3341
Jiansong Sheng, Visiting Fellow 301-451- 3334
Wonchul Shin, Visiting Fellow 301-451- 3335
Tao Sun, Ph.D. Visiting Fellow 301-451- 3339
Xin-Sheng Wu, Ph.D. Research Fellow 301-451- 3345
Jianhua Xu, Ph.D. Research Fellow 301-451- 3340
Lei Xue, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow 301-451- 3357
Research Interests
Neurons communicate with each other via chemical synaptic transmission. Regulation of the strength of synaptic transmission plays essential roles in many physiological and pathological processes, such as control of neuronal network outputs, neuronal development, learning and memory, and neurological diseases. It remains poorly understood how synaptic strength is controlled at nerve terminals. Filling this gap of knowledge is the goal of the Synaptic Transmission Unit. Selected Recent PublicationsXu J, McNeil B, Wu W, Nees D, Bai L, Wu LG.
GTP-independent rapid and slow endocytosis at a central synapse - Nat Neurosci. 11(1) 45-53 2008 He L, Wu LG.
The debate on the kiss-and-run fusion at synapses. - Trends in Neuroscience 30(9) 447-55 2007 Wu LG, Ryan TA, Lagnado L.
Modes of vesicle retrieval at ribbon synapses, calyx-type synapses, and small central synapses - J Neurosci. 27(44) 11793-802 2007 Xu J, He L, Wu LG.
Role of Ca(2+) channels in short-term synaptic plasticity. - Curr Opin Neurobiol. 17(3) 352-9 2007 He L, Wu XS, Mohan R, and Wu LG.
Two modes of fusion pore openings revealed by cell-attached recordings at a synapse - Nature 444 102-105 2006 Xu J and Wu LG
The decrease in the presynaptic calcium current is a major cause of short-term depression at a calyx-type synapse. - Neuron 46 633-645 2005
Contact Information
Synaptic Transmission Section, NINDS Porter Neuroscience Research Center Building 35, Room 2B-1012 35 Convent Drive, MSC 3706 Bethesda MD 20892-3706
Telephone: 301-451- 3338 (office), 301- 451-3338 (laboratory), 301-480- 1466 (fax), Email: wul@ninds.nih.gov