Professor Phillips is interested in the role of cell adhesion molecules in neural development. Disruption of these processes has been implicated in various neurodevelopmental disorders. The laboratory is focused on the function of a large family of cell adhesion molecules termed clustered protocadherins. These proteins are hallmarks of the evolution of complex vertebrate brains and are thought to generate an adhesive barcode, through epigenetic regulation, that specifies interactions between axons, dendrites, and glial cells. Dr. Phillips has hypothesized that the activity of protocadherins is dynamically regulated by endocytosis and intracellular trafficking, which may account for the diverse roles for these molecules in regulating dendrite self-avoidance and synaptogenesis. The lab utilizes molecular and cellular techniques as well as confocal and electron microscopy, and has trained many undergraduate and graduate students in these techniques.
Recent Publications
LaMassa N, Sverdlov H, Mambetalieva A, Shapiro S, Bucaro M, Fernandez-Monreal M, Phillips GR. Gamma-protocadherin localization at the synapse is associated with parameters of synaptic maturation. J Comp Neurol. 2021 Jul 1;529(10):2407-2417.
Ptashnik A, LaMassa N, Mambetalieva A, Schnall E, Bucaro M, Phillips GR. Ubiquitination of the protocadherin-γA3 variable cytoplasmic domain modulates cell-cell interaction. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2023 Sep 18;11:1261048.
