Nature Search

Functional specificity of liquid-liquid phase separation at the synapse

In this study, Guzikowski and Kavalali find properties of in vitro micron sized liquid condensates translate to the nano-structure of the synapse in a functionally specific manner, creating a distinct nano-organization that facilitates subsequent synaptic signaling.

Natalie J. Guzikowski
Ege T. Kavalali
ResearchOpen Access21 Nov 2024
Nature Communications

Volume: 15, P: 1-14
Dopaminergic tone inhibits spontaneous glutamate release and augments homeostatic synaptic plasticity

Burak Uzay
Kevin J. Zhang
Ege T. Kavalali
ResearchOpen Access06 Dec 2025
Molecular Psychiatry

P: 1-15
The mechanisms and functions of spontaneous neurotransmitter release

It was traditionally assumed that the spontaneous release of neurotransmitter-containing vesicles at neuronal synapses results from the random activation of the vesicle fusion machinery that underlies action potential-driven evoked release. However, the recent evidence described by Kavalali in this Review now suggests that the mechanisms, regulation and functions of spontaneous neurotransmitter release are distinct from those of evoked neurotransmission.

Ege T. Kavalali
Reviews19 Dec 2014
Nature Reviews Neuroscience

Volume: 16, P: 5-16
Small cell lung cancer induces synaptic scaling to alter neuronal excitability

Functional characterization of small cell lung cancer integration with neurons and the synaptic mechanism underlying dysregulated neural signaling in the tumour microenvironment.

Aiden J. Houcek
Burak Uzay
Ege T. Kavalali
ResearchOpen Access13 Nov 2025
Communications Biology

Volume: 8, P: 1-15
Selective molecular impairment of spontaneous neurotransmission modulates synaptic efficacy

Emerging evidence suggests that spontaneous neurotransmitter release contributes to the maintenance of synaptic efficacy. Here the authors selectively reduce spontaneous glutamatergic transmission while leaving the stimulus-evoked responses intact and show that this leads to homeostatic scaling at the postsynaptic side in cultured neurons and alters synaptic plasticity in acute brain slices.

Devon C. Crawford
Denise M. O. Ramirez
Ege T. Kavalali
ResearchOpen Access10 Feb 2017
Nature Communications

Volume: 8, P: 1-14
Visualizing presynaptic function

From FM dyes, cypHers, pHluorin and Q-dots to electron tomography and super-resolution microscopy, Kavalali and Jorgensen present a critical survey of the optical paraphernalia currently available to investigate presynaptic function, highlighting the specific strengths and limitations inherent to these various approaches.

Ege T Kavalali
Erik M Jorgensen
Reviews26 Dec 2013
Nature Neuroscience

Volume: 17, P: 10-16
Dynamin-independent synaptic vesicle retrieval?

A new study proposes that synaptic vesicle endocytosis at a large synaptic terminal is partly independent of dynamin and GTP hydrolysis, suggesting a new mechanism leading to vesicle fission and maintenance of neurotransmission.

Helmut Krämer
Ege T Kavalali
News & Views01 Jan 2008
Nature Neuroscience

Volume: 11, P: 6-8
Effects of a ketamine metabolite on synaptic NMDAR function

Kanzo Suzuki
Elena Nosyreva
Lisa M. Monteggia
Research21 Jun 2017
Nature

Volume: 546, P: E1-E3
Sustained effects of rapidly acting antidepressants require BDNF-dependent MeCP2 phosphorylation

How ketamine and scopolamine produce sustained antidepressant effects remains unknown. Kim et al. show that BDNF-dependent MeCP2 phosphorylation drives sustained antidepressant effects of ketamine and scopolamine with distinct synaptic plasticity changes.

Ji-Woon Kim
Anita E. Autry
Lisa M. Monteggia
Research28 Jun 2021
Nature Neuroscience

Volume: 24, P: 1100-1109
NMDA receptor blockade at rest triggers rapid behavioural antidepressant responses

Anita E. Autry
Megumi Adachi
Lisa M. Monteggia
Research15 Jun 2011
Nature

Volume: 475, P: 91-95
VAMP4 directs synaptic vesicles to a pool that selectively maintains asynchronous neurotransmission

The authors show that the SNARE protein VAMP4 acts to maintain calcium-dependent asynchronous synaptic vesicle release. These findings suggest that VAMP4 is functionally distinct from synaptobrevin2, which primarily drives fast, synchronous release.

Jesica Raingo
Mikhail Khvotchev
Ege T Kavalali
Research11 Mar 2012
Nature Neuroscience

Volume: 15, P: 738-745
Impact of distinct neurotransmitter release modes on neuronal signaling

Kevin J. Zhang
Lisa M. Monteggia
Ege T. Kavalali
ReviewsOpen Access26 Nov 2025
Molecular Psychiatry

Volume: 31, P: 1095-1110
Synaptobrevin is essential for fast synaptic-vesicle endocytosis

Ferenc Deák
Susanne Schoch
Ege T. Kavalali
Research10 Oct 2004
Nature Cell Biology

Volume: 6, P: 1102-1108
Depression brought to light

Exposure to abnormal light–dark cycles causes depression-like behaviour and learning deficits in mice. The defects seem to occur independently of disturbances to sleep and other processes regulated by the biological clock. See Letter p.594

Lisa M. Monteggia
Ege T. Kavalali
News & Views14 Nov 2012
Nature

Volume: 491, P: 537-538
Kinetics and regulation of fast endocytosis at hippocampal synapses

Jürgen Klingauf
Ege T. Kavalali
Richard W. Tsien
Research06 Aug 1998
Nature

Volume: 394, P: 581-585
Seeking a function for spontaneous neurotransmission

A recent study proposes that the random and spontaneous, NMDA receptor–dependent miniature postsynaptic currents at hippocampal synapses serve to regulate local postsynaptic protein synthesis, thereby stabilizing synaptic function.

ChiHye Chung
Ege T Kavalali
News & Views01 Aug 2006
Nature Neuroscience

Volume: 9, P: 989-990
MeCP2 and histone deacetylases 1 and 2 in dorsal striatum collectively suppress repetitive behaviors

Loss of Hdac1 and Hdac2 in adult brain is detrimental to neuronal survival and triggers dysregulation of Sapap3 in the striatum in a MeCP2-dependent manner that results in an exacerbated repetitive behavior phenotype.

Melissa Mahgoub
Megumi Adachi
Lisa M Monteggia
Research26 Sept 2016
Nature Neuroscience

Volume: 19, P: 1506-1512
Ketamine induced synaptic plasticity operates independently of long-term potentiation

Michelle K. Piazza
Ege T. Kavalali
Lisa M. Monteggia
ResearchOpen Access19 Jun 2024
Neuropsychopharmacology

Volume: 49, P: 1758-1766
Distinct synaptic mechanisms drive the behavioral response to acute stress and rapid correction by ketamine

Ji-Woon Kim
Benjamin Kleinfelter
Lisa M. Monteggia
ResearchOpen Access01 Jul 2024
Neuropsychopharmacology

Volume: 49, P: 1916-1924
Ketamine and rapid antidepressant action: new treatments and novel synaptic signaling mechanisms

John H. Krystal
Ege T. Kavalali
Lisa M. Monteggia
ReviewsOpen Access24 Jul 2023
Neuropsychopharmacology

Volume: 49, P: 41-50
The Ketamine Metabolite 2R,6R-Hydroxynorketamine Blocks NMDA Receptors and Impacts Downstream Signaling Linked to Antidepressant Effects

Ege T Kavalali
Lisa M Monteggia
Research01 Dec 2017
Neuropsychopharmacology

Volume: 43, P: 221-222
The Impact of MeCP2 Loss- or Gain-of-Function on Synaptic Plasticity

Elisa S Na
Erika D Nelson
Lisa M Monteggia
Reviews11 Jul 2012
Neuropsychopharmacology

Volume: 38, P: 212-219
Sphingomimetic multiple sclerosis drug FTY720 activates vesicular synaptobrevin and augments neuroendocrine secretion

Frederic D. Darios
Jernej Jorgacevski
Bazbek Davletov
ResearchOpen Access20 Jul 2017
Scientific Reports

Volume: 7, P: 1-11
Rapid homeostatic plasticity and neuropsychiatric therapeutics

Ege T. Kavalali
Lisa M. Monteggia
ReviewsOpen Access22 Aug 2022
Neuropsychopharmacology

Volume: 48, P: 54-60

Search

Filter By:

Search

Quick links