Our group is interested in understanding how axons maintain their function during our lifetime and the mechanisms underlying their degeneration in neurological diseases, such as hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP). HSP is characterised by the degeneration of axons of cortical motoneurons that control voluntary movements. These axons can reach the length of 1 m, contain up to 99% of the neuronal cytoplasm, and are highly dependent on efficient trafficking mechanisms to deliver proteins, lipids, and cellular organelles, including mitochondria, to distal regions.
Open questions that we address in our projects are:
Our aim is to elucidate the molecular, cellular and physiological function of crucial players in HSP and mitochondrial quality control.
