Ellen Townes-Anderson, Ph.D.
Professor of Neurosciences and Associate Professor of Ophthalmology
UMDNJ - NJMS

Office:                       H-582 Medical Science Building
Labs:                         H-518 and 520 Medical Science Building
Tel:                           (973) 972-7392, 7393
Fax:                          (973) 972-5056
E-mail:                      andersel@umdnj.edu
Research Specialist:  Dr. Nan Zhang
Research Associate:  Dr. Robert Clarke
Predoctoral Student: Aurora Fontainhaus
Masters Student:       Suzanne Michaels
Technical Assistants: Roma Chawla, Youhua Zhu

Areas of Interest:
degeneration and regeneration of adult neurons, synaptic plasticity, synaptogenesis

Current Research Projects:

My laboratory is using an in vitro system to examine synaptic function and regeneration of the mature central nervous system. We isolate functional, fully differentiated neurons from the adult vertebrate eye and maintain them in defined culture conditions. Sensory neurons, short interneurons, and projection neurons are all able to regrow neurites and reform functional synapses in vitro. Projects are currently under way to determine the specificity of synapse reformation, the effects of calcium and other second messengers on this regeneration, the signal transduction pathways which control cytoskeletal reorganization and changes in gene expression, and the effects of ageing on regenerative capabilities. Much of the work is done on photoreceptors since degeneration of these sensory neurons is a major cause of blindness. The techniques used include cell culture, immunocytochemistry, a variety of light microscopic techniques including confocal laser scanning microscopy, electron microscopy, video time-lapse photography, image processing, in situ hybridization and Northern blots. And just recently we have begun to use a new micromanipulation technique, optical tweezers, to form specific groups of interacting neurons in culture. In the long term, the goal of this work is not only to understand more about the capabilities of central synapses, but to use this information in suggesting clinical solutions for central nervous system repair and transplantation.

Representative Publications:

Mandell, J.W., MacLeish, P.R. and E. Townes-Anderson. Process outgrowth and synaptic varicosity formation by adult photoreceptors in vitro. J. Neurosci. 13:3533-3548, 1993.

Sherry, D.M., St. Jules, R.S. and E. Townes-Anderson. Morphological and neurochemical target selectivity of regenerating adult photoreceptors in vitro. J. Comp. Neurol. 376:476-488, 1996.
Townes-Anderson, E., R.S. St. Jules, D.M. Sherry, J. Lichtenberger, and M. Hassanain. Micromanipulation of retinal neurons by optical tweezers. Molecular Vision 4:12 ,1998. http://www.molvis.org/molvis/v4/p12

Nachman-Clewner, M., R.S. St. Jules, and E. Townes-Anderson. L-type calcium channels in the photoreceptor ribbon synapse: Localization and role in plasticity. J. Comp. Neurol. 415: 1-16, 1999 (cover photo).

Alfinito, P.D. and E. Townes-Anderson. Dopamine D4 receptor-mediated regulation of rod opsin mRNA expression in tiger salamander. J. Neurochem. 76: 881-891, 2001.

Alfinito, P.D. and E. Townes-Anderson. Activation of mislocalized opsin kills rod cells: A novel mechanism for rod cell death in retinal disease. P.N.A.S. 99: 5655-5660, 2002.

Zhang, N. and E. Townes-Anderson. Regulation of structural plasticity by different channel types in rod and cone photoreceptors. J. Neurosci. 22:7065-7079, 2002

Khodair, M.A., Zarbin, M.A., and E. Townes-Anderson. Synaptic plasticity in mammalian photoreceptors prepared as sheets for retinal transplantation. I.O.V.S., 44:4976-4988, 2003

Thoreson, W.B., Rabl, K., Townes-Anderson, E., and R. Heidelberger. A highly Ca2+-senstive pool of vesicles contributes to linearity at the rod photoreceptor ribbon synapse. Neuron 42:1-20, 2004 Reviewed in Nature, May 10, 2004