Jacqueline Burré

Increasing evidence points to presynaptic terminals as initiation sites for several neurological disorders. Yet, virtually nothing is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms which impedes not only understanding of disease etiology but also treatment.  

The Burré lab focuses on how human mutations in the core machinery of neurotransmitter release, the presynaptic SNARE complex, and in chaperones maintaining and regulating the components of the SNARE complex, affect synapse function and neuron survival and lead to devastating diseases in children and adults, ranging from intellectual disability and epilepsy to neurodegeneration.  

We study dysfunction of mutant proteins in mouse models and C. elegans models of disease, in cultured mouse neurons and heterologous cells expressing disease-linked proteins, and in vitro, using recombinant purified proteins. The lab employs a broad range of techniques including biochemical, biophysical, cell biological, electrophysiological, imaging, and behavioral readouts.  

We utilize the knowledge gained about the molecular disease mechanisms to design and test rationale strategies to overcome identified deficits, with the ultimate goal to translate these findings to humans.  

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