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      Selected Publications                                                                                                                                                                                                  * Corresponding author

      2012

      Effects of amyloid-beta on axonal transport - what's the mechanism? 

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      Early and selective impairments in axonal transport kinetics of synaptic cargoes induced by soluble amyloid beta-protein oligomers.
      Yong Tang, David Scott, Utpal Das, Steven Edland, Kryslaine Radomski, Edward H. Koo and Subhojit Roy* Traffic. Feb 6 2012 online
      http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22309053

      Describes early effects of soluble, cell-derived amyloid-beta oligomers (200 picomolar!) on axonal transport of various vesicular cargoes imaged under controlled, standardized protocols. The effects are selective (only synaptic cargoes are affected; no effects on mitochondrial motility), executed via an NMDA-receptor/GSK3b - mediated pathway, and may result from diminished cargo/motor engagement.   
       

      2011

      Harnessing the power of photoactivatable probes to study of axonal transport - Try this at home!

      Picture
      A simple photoactivation and image-analysis module for visualizing and analyzing axonal transport with  high temporal resolution.
      Subhojit Roy*, Ge Yang, Yong Tang, and David Scott. Nature Protocols, January 2012 issue. Read this paper
                                      
      Describes a simple add-on that can be retroactively fitted on an epifluorescence (Olympus) microscope to evaluate axonal transport of cargoes tagged to photoactivatable probes with high temporal resolution. A relatively low-cost option that can even be used for analyzing proteins with very fast diffusible pools, with no compromise in data-quality. Image-analyses procedures and experimental caveats/troubleshooting tips are also provided.

      The logic of slow axonal transport: How does the soluble protein move anyway?

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      Mechanistic logic underlying the axonal transport of cytosolic proteins. David Scott, Utpal Das (co-first authors), Yong Tang and Subhojit Roy*.
      Neuron May 2011 12;70(3):441-54. Describes a new way by which cytosolic proteins may be transported. Read this paper        
               * See Preview: "The Curious Case of the Soluble Protein". Scott T. Brady. Dev Cell. 2011 May 17;20(5):581-2. Read this Preview    
               * See UCSD News story: “Slow Road to the Synapse: Why some proteins take their time getting there.”

      2010

      Alpha-synuclein at the synapse: What makes a perfectly good synapse go Boink?

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      A pathologic cascade leading to synaptic dysfunction in α-synuclein-induced neurodegeneration. David Scott, Iustin Tabarean, Yong Tang, Anna Cartier, Eliezer Masliah and Subhojit Roy*.
      Journal of Neuroscience Jun 2010 16;30(24):8083-95. Read this paper

      Describes the development of a new model-system by which evolvng alpha-synuclein pathology can be quantitatively assessed in neurons.        
                                                         * Editorial comment in “This week in the journal” Link to Pubmed
                                                         * UCSD News story: UCSD: News
                                                         * See report/peer-comments on the online community Alzforum: Alzforum: News

      2009

      Review on axonal transport and neurodegenerative diseases

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      Axonal transport and neurodegenerative diseases (Review). Subhojit Roy, Virginia Lee and John Q. Trojanowski. 
      Encyclopedia of Neuroscience (2009), vol. 1, pp. 1199-1203.

      A review of links between axonal transport and neurodegeneration. Read this paper

      The paradox of alpha-synuclein

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      The paradoxical cell biology of α-synuclein. Roy S, Results Probl Cell Differ. 2009;48:159-72.  

      Alpha-synuclein is a small, soluble protein that normally localizes to the presynaptic terminals. Yet in diseased states, large amounts of alpha-synuclein is found within cell bodies and proximal neurons. This review considers the hypothesis that the axonal transport and presynaptic targeting of the protein is disturbed in diseased states. Read this paper 

      2008 and Before

      Alpha-synuclein induces curious vesicular accumulations in the yeast 

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      α-synuclein Induced Aggregation of Cytoplasmic Vesicles in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. James Soper, Subhojit Roy, Anna Steiber, Chris Burd, Virginia Lee.
      Molecular Biology of the Cell. Jan 2008 19(3), 1093-1103.

      Curious vesicular accumulations upon alpha-synuclein over-expression in yeast. Is this an artifact, or is mother nature trying to tell us something? Make up your own mind, Read this paper

      Role of f-actin on transport of cytosolic cargoes

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      Cytoskeletal requirements of Slow Component-b transport. Subhojit Roy, Matthew J. Winton, Mark M. Black, John Q. Trojanowski, Virginia Lee.
      Journal of Neuroscience May 2008 28(20):5248-5256. Read this paper

      Co-transport of cytosolic cargoes

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      Rapid and intermittent co-transport of Slow Component-b proteins. Subhojit Roy, Matthew J. Winton, Mark M. Black, John Q. Trojanowski, Virginia Lee.
      Journal of Neuroscience Mar 2007 27(12):3131-38. Read this paper 
            * Featured with editorial comment in “This week in the journal”

      Axonal transport of neurofilament polymers: The one that started it all 

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      Neurofilaments are Transported Rapidly but Intermittently in Axons: Implications for Slow Axonal Transport. Subhojit Roy, Pilar Coffee, George Smith, Ron K. Liem, Scott T. Brady and Mark M. Black.
      Journal of Neuroscience Sept 2000; 20(18):6849-6861. Read this paper  

      Subhojit Roy's PhD thesis!