University of Houston College of Optometry Professor John O’Brien, a retinal neuroscience expert, has received $2.6 million from the National Eye Institute (NEI) to continue more than 2 decades of research into electrical synapses and gap junction plasticity, according to a press release. Specifically, his work will continue to explore how these mechanisms affect retinal processing, as well as broader neurological function.
The press release explains that gap junctions, small channels that transfer electrical signals between neurons, form specialized connections known as electrical synapses. These synapses play a key role in how the retina extracts and processes visual information. Their ability to change strength in response to brain signals, known as plasticity, is central to Professor O’Brien’s research.
Despite advances in understanding chemical synapse plasticity—such as genome-wide association studies that have shown connections between DNA sequence variations near the gene coding for Connexin 36 (Cx36; a protein forming gap junction) and the development of refractive error—knowledge of electrical synapse regulation remains limited, according to the press release.
Professor O’Brien’s research aims to close this gap by investigating the protein complexes that regulate electrical synapses, examining how Cx36 phosphorylation contributes to synapse plasticity in different retinal circuits, and identifying proteins within electrical synapses and determining their roles in controlling synapse strength.
His prior findings have established plasticity as an intrinsic property of Cx36, which is relevant in both vision and neurological health. Professor O'Brien has also established the role of electrical synapse plasticity in enabling the retina to adjust sensitivity between night and day vision to sharpen visual perception, and a catalog of conserved proteins associated with electrical synapses across species.
The NEI-supported research is expected to significantly advance the understanding of electrical synapse function in both normal physiology and vision and neurological disorders, according to the press release. OM