Duke Institute for Brain Sciences

Our laboratory is interested in understanding how central nervous system (CNS) synapses are formed. In the CNS, neurons make very specific connections with distant targets and establishment of these synaptic contacts are meticulously timed, demonstrating the presence of a complex control of synapse formation. However our knowledge on regulation of synaptogenesis is still limited.

Synapses are essentially asymmetric cell adhesions. Since synapses in the CNS are formed between neurons, traditional studies in synapse formation primarily focuses on neuronal cell surface molecules. However in the last decade astrocytes, the most abundant cell type in the CNS, emerged as an important player in the formation of synapses.

We are able to study the effect of astrocytes in synapse formation thanks to our retinal ganglion neuron culture system. Unlike many other primary neuronal culture systems, retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) can be isolated from rodent retina as a pure population and can be cultured in the absence of any other cell type, in a serum free well-defined culture media. Interestingly, RGCs cultured in the absence of astrocytes form very few synapses. In contrast, neurons cultured in the presence of astrocytes or astrocyte conditioned media form many synapses. This is due to the fact that astrocytes secrete factors that regulate synapse formation. We work to identify these factors and elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which astrocytes regulate synapse formation both in vitro and in vivo.

Understanding synaptogenesis is crucial for understanding how our brains are sculpted during development, and how we learn and remember as adults. In addition, knowledge on how synaptogenesis can go awry has important health implications for understanding the pathophysiology of diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, and drug addiction.

Postdoc, Stanford University, Neurobiology Department, Palo Alto CA, 2003-2008

Ph.D., European Molecular Biology Laboratory and University of Heidelberg (Germany), 2002

M.S., Bilkent University (Turkey), Molecular Biology and Genetics, 1998

B.S., Middle East Technical University (Turkey), Chemical Engineering, 1996

Liauw J, Hoang S, Choi M, Eroglu C, Choi M, Sun GH, Percy M, Wildman-Tobriner B, Bliss T, Guzman RG, Barres BA, Steinberg GK. Thrombospondins 1 and 2 are necessary for synaptic plasticity and functional recovery after stroke (2008). J. Cereb. Blood Flow Metab., 28(10):1722-1732.

Ursula Weber, Çagla Eroglu, Marek Mlodzik. “Phospholipid membrane composition affects EGF receptor and Notch signaling through effects on endocytosis during Drosophila development”(2003). Developmental Cell, 5:559-570.

Çagla Eroglu, Britta Bruegger, Felix Wieland, Irmgard Sinning. “Glutamate binding affinity of Drosophila metabotropic glutamate receptor is modulated by association with lipid rafts” (2003). Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, 100(18): 10219-10224.

Çagla Eroglu, Philippe Cronet, Valérie Panneels, Philippe Beaufils, and Irmgard Sinning. ”Functional reconstitution of purified metabotropic glutamate receptor expressed in the fly eye” (2002), EMBO Reports, 3(5): 491‐496.

Book Chapter
Cagla Eroglu, Ben A. Barres, Beth Stevens. “The role of glia in synapse development and function”, Structural and Functional Organization of the Synapse, Springer, (2008).