Polarity complexes in cellular differentiation

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My NSERC Discovery program has focused on identifying protein-protein complexes that regulate cell polarity. In particular we have been focusing on the role of these complexes play in the development of the synapse, one of the more polarized structures in the CNS. Synapses are sites of cell-cell contact specialized for the transmission of chemical and electrical signals between neurons. The specialized function of the synapse results from the asymmetric distribution of proteins forming the presynaptic and postsynaptic compartments, and involves the coordinated regulation of actin dynamics. Not surprisingly then, signalling pathways that regulate the activity of the small Rho GTPases, Rac, Rho and cdc42, have been shown to play an important role in the development and maintenance of the synapse and synaptic morphology.