Dr. Nace Golding
Office: PAT 408
phone: (512) 232-4888
lab: 232-4889 (PAT 407)
fax: 371-4878
email:
Nace Golding obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1996. After finishing his postdoctoral work at Northwestern University, Dr. Golding has recently joined the Section of Neurobiology at the University of Texas, Austin. As a graduate student, Dr. Golding has earned awards for outstanding doctoral research from the Sigma Xi Foundation, University of Wisconsin, and the National Science Foundation. More recently, Dr. Golding was the recipient of an award from the National Institutes of Health for excellence in postdoctoral research.
Research Interests
Neuronal dendrites are elaborate, tree-like structures that receive up to thousands of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic connections. The morphology and electrical properties of the dendrites strongly influence the way in which synaptic activity sums together and is ultimately translated into new patterns of action potential firing in the axon. This translation process, called dendritic integration, is the fundamental means by which neurons regulate what synaptic information is communicated to the neuron’s network targets. My research focuses on identifying the mechanisms by which dendrites shape synaptic activity and action potential firing, as well as understanding how these mechanisms contribute to the neuron’s functional role. An additional focus is on how dendritic properties influence changes in synaptic strength that, in turn, underlie some forms of learning and memory.
We employ video microscopy to visualize dendrites directly in living brain slices. This enables us to make simultaneous patch-pipette recordings from the cell body and dendrites of a single cell. We combine this electrophysiological approach with calcium imaging techniques to assess how electrical activity induced by synaptic inputs and spikes is altered as it propagates through the dendrites. We use ion channel blockers to tease out the contribution of different channel types to these electrical alterations. Once identified, the biophysical properties and subcellular distributions of specific ion channels can be elucidated with voltage-clamp techniques.
A specific focus of the lab is to understand how dendritic properties influence the way neurons in the mammalian central auditory system process information about sound. The ability of humans and other animals to communicate and localize sounds in the environment relies critically on the precise timing and pattern of action potential firing in auditory neurons. Because action potential timing is so important, neurons in specific auditory circuits exhibit biophysical specializations that enable them to encode the timing of their synaptic inputs with precision, even at extremely high rates of firing. Auditory neurons thus provide a rare opportunity to understand how the morphology and intrinsic electrical properties of dendrites contribute to a well-defined functional role. Experiments are also addressing how synaptic information is shaped by local circuitry at different levels in auditory pathways.
Select Publications
• Golding, N.L., Staff, N.S., and Spruston, N. (2002) Dendritic spikes: a new mechanism for the induction of cooperative long-term potentiation. Nature, in press.
• Golding, N.L., Kath, W.L., and Spruston, N. (2001) Dichotomy of action potential backpropagation in CA1 pyramidal neuron dendrites. Journal of Neurophysiology,86:2998-3010. pdf
• Golding, N.L., and Spruston, N. (1998) Dendritic sodium spikes are variable triggers of axonal action potentials in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. Neuron, 21:1189-1200. pdf