Hasan Lab
Sidebar
About
My research work addresses fundamental questions about how the retina, one of the most accessible and well-organized regions of the central nervous system, assembles and maintains its intricate synaptic circuitry. The retina is an exceptional model for studying neural circuit organization, as its highly organized laminar structure and well-characterized cell types enable precise investigation of molecular mechanisms that govern synaptic development, protein localization, and signal transmission. By focusing on the molecular architecture of photoreceptor synapses, my lab investigates how specific proteins orchestrate the formation of specialized synaptic structures and how genetic mutations that disrupt these proteins lead to visual disorders, including congenital stationary night blindness and cone dystrophy. A central question in our research is how synaptic specificity is established and maintained between photoreceptors and their postsynaptic partners and what molecules control selective interactions between cone photoreceptors and individual cone bipolar cell subtypes to establish the parallel processing pathways essential for high-acuity vision.
My lab employs sophisticated molecular biology techniques, electrophysiological recordings, advanced imaging approaches, and genetically modified animal models to dissect the functional roles of synaptic proteins in the retina. These fundamental insights directly guide us in developing adeno-associated viral (AAV)-mediated gene therapies designed to restore expression of deficient proteins and rescue visual function in animal models of inherited blindness.
Key Research Areas
- Retinal Synaptogenesis
- LRR Proteins
- Retinal Disorders
- AAV-mediated Gene Therapy
Current Projects
- Molecular mechanisms of synaptic organization in the retina
- Gene therapy for inherited retinal disorders
Team
Nazarul Hasan
Recent Publications
Hasan, N. and Gregg, R.G. (2024) Cone Synaptic function is modulated by the leucine rich repeat (LRR) adhesion molecule LRFN2. eNeuro 11(3).
Gregg, R.G., Hasan, N. and Borghuis, B.G. (2023) LRIT3 expression in cone photoreceptors restores post-synaptic bipolar cell signalplex assembly and partial function in Lrit3 -/- mice. iScience 26(4), 106499.
Hasan, N., Pangeni, G., Ray, T., Fransen, K., Noel, J., Borghuis, B.G., McCall, M.A. and Gregg, R.G. (2020)LRIT3 is required for nyctalopin expression and normal ON and OFF pathway signaling in the retina. eNeuro 7(1), 2-20.
- Metcalf, S., Dougherty, S., Kruer, T., Hasan, N., Biyik-Sit, R., Reynolds, L. and Clem, B.F. (2020) Selective loss of phosphoserine aminotransferase 1 (PSAT1) suppresses migration, invasion, and experimental metastasis in triple negative breast cancer. Clin Exp Metastasis 37(1):187-197.
Hasan, N., Pangeni, G., Cobb, C., Ray, T., Nettesheim, E.R., Ertel, K.J., Lipinski, D.M., McCall, M.A. and Gregg, R.G. (2019) Presynaptic expression of LRIT3 transsynaptically organizes the postsynaptic glutamate signaling complex containing TRPM1. Cell Reports 27, 3107-3116.
Kinoshita, J., Hasan, N., Bell, B.A. and Peachey, N.S. (2019) Reduced expression of nob8 gene does not normalize the distribution or function of mGluR6 in the mouse retina. Molecular Vision 25, 890-901.