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Barry Ganetzky

Professor of Genetics and Medical Genetics

Barry Ganetzky
Lab Home Page:
Ganetzky Lab
Address:
4120 Genetics/Biotech
Telephone:
263-2404
Email:
ganetzky@wisc.edu
Research Fields:
Drosophila
Gene Expression
Neurogenetics

Ph.D., University of Washington, 1976

Postdoctoral Research: California Institute of Technology

Research Interests

Drosophila Genetics and Neurobiology

Research Description

Our work focuses on using a genetic approach to dissect the molecular mechanisms of electrical signaling in the nervous system. We have isolated a number of mutations in Drosphila that perturb nerve impulses or synaptic transmission and we have analyzed these mutations using genetic, electrophysiological, histological, and molecular techniques. These studies have generated novel information about the structure, function, and regulation of key proteins such as ion channels and proteins required for neurotransmitter release. We are now using the same strategy to investigate the molecular mechanisms that regulate synaptic growth and plasticity as well as those required to maintain normal neuronal viability.

Representative Publications

  • Palladino, M.J., Hadley, T.J. and B. Ganetzky. 2002. Temperature-sensitive paralytic mutants in Drosophila are enriched for those causing neurodegeneration. Genetics 161:1197-1208.
  • Coyle, I.P., Koh, Y.-H., Lee, W.-C., Slind, J., Fergestad, T., Littleton, J.T. and B. Ganetzky. 2004. Nervous Wreck, an adaptor protein that interacts with WASP, regulates synaptic growth in Drosophila. Neuron 41:521-534.
  • Palladino, M.J., Bower, J.E., Kreber, R. and B. Ganetzky. 2003. Neural dysfunction and neurodegeneration in Drosophila Na+/K+ ATPase alpha subunit mutants. J. Neuroscience 23:1276-1286.
  • Koh, Y.-H., Rehfeld, K. and B. Ganetzky. 2004. A Drosophila model of early-onset torsion dystonia suggests impairment in TGF-b signaling. Human Molecular Genetics 13:2019-2030.
  • Cirelli, C., Bushey, D., Hill, S., Huber, R., Kreber, R., Ganetzky, B. and G. Tononi. 2005. Drosophila Shaker mutants with minimal sleep. Nature 434:1087-1092.