Peter Brophy
Molecular and Cell Biology
Centre for Neuroregeneration University of Edinburgh
Greece
Biography
The goal of the Brophy laboratory is to understand how interactions between neurons and glia underpin rapid nerve impulse conduction in the vertebrate nervous system. Myelination of axons is a key event that stimulates the clustering of voltage gated sodium channels at nodes of Ranvier. The concentration of these sodium channels with associated proteins at nodes promotes rapid propagation of the action potential. A second key axonal domain is the axon initial segment (AIS). It has been assumed that the AIS initiates the action potential.
Research Interest
Molecular and Cell Biology
Publications
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Zonta B., Desmazieres A., Rinaldi A., Tait S., Sherman DL., Nolan MF., Brophy PJ. (2011) A critical role for Neurofascin in regulating action potential initiation through maintenance of the axon initial segment. Neuron., 69 (5) : 945-56.
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Wu LMN., Williams A., Delaney A., Sherman DL., Brophy PJ. (2012) Increasing internodal distance in myelinated nerves accelerates nerve conduction to a flat Maximum. Curr. Biol., 22 (20) : 1957-61.
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Sherman DL., Krols M., Wu LM., Grove M., Nave KA., Gangloff YG., Brophy PJ. (2012) Arrest of myelination and reduced axon growth when Schwann cells lack mTOR. J. Neurosci., 32, 1817-1825 (Cover).
