Johns Hopkins University, Department of Neuroscience
 

 

 

 

Ronald  Schnaar, Ph.D

Professor of Pharmacology and Professor of Neuroscience

Telephone Number:   (410) 955-8392

Fax Number:   (410) 955-4900

 

Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences

School of Medicine

725 North Wolfe St.

Baltimore, MD 21205

Room: 318 WBSB

schnaar@jhu.edu

       
(click on picture for caption)

Cell Surface Molecules in Neural Cell-Cell Recognition, Myelin Maintenance, and Axon Regeneration

     Neural cells are rich in cell surface sugars called gangliosides. We discovered that major members of the ganglioside family are ligands for an important cell recognition protein called "myelin-associated glycoprotein," or MAG. MAG binds to gangliosides on nerve cells to initiate CELL-CELL RECOGNITION which is important for the MAINTENANCE OF MYELIN, the essential insulation surrounding nerve cell axons. Myelin loss results in diseases such as multiple sclerosis. MAG-ganglioside interactions are also key to understanding AXON REGENERATION. At sites of injury in the CNS, MAG binds to gangliosides, sending signals into the nerve cell which block axon outgrowth. Understanding this molecular and cellular interaction may help us to develop new ways to improve axon regeneration after, for instance, paralytic spinal cord injury or stroke.



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