Troy Littleton

Troy Littleton

Menicon Professor of Biology and The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory

Troy Littleton is interested in how neuronal connections form and function, and how neurological disease disrupts synaptic communication.

617-452-2605

Phone

46-3243

Office

troy@mit.edu

Email

Neuroscience Complex

Location

Lab Website
Charles Moss

Assistant

617-452-2070

Assistant Phone

Education

  • PhD, 1994, Baylor College of Medicine; MD, 1997, Baylor College of Medicine
  • BS, 1989, Biochemistry, Louisiana State University

Research Summary

Using Drosophila, we study how neurons form synaptic connections, as well as how synapses transmit information and change during learning and memory. We also investigate how alterations in neuronal signaling underlie several neurological diseases, including epilepsy, autism, and Huntington’s Disease. We hope to bridge the gap between the molecular components of the synapse and the physiological responses they mediate.

Key Publications

  1. A synaptotagmin suppressor screen indicates SNARE binding controls the timing and Ca2+ cooperativity of vesicle fusion. Guan, Z, Bykhovskaia, M, Jorquera, RA, Sutton, RB, Akbergenova, Y, Littleton, JT. 2017. Elife 6, .
    doi: 10.7554/eLife.28409PMID:28895532
  2. Phosphorylation of Complexin by PKA Regulates Activity-Dependent Spontaneous Neurotransmitter Release and Structural Synaptic Plasticity. Cho, RW, Buhl, LK, Volfson, D, Tran, A, Li, F, Akbergenova, Y, Littleton, JT. 2015. Neuron 88, 749-61.
    doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.10.011PMID:26590346
  3. Spontaneous and evoked release are independently regulated at individual active zones. Melom, JE, Akbergenova, Y, Gavornik, JP, Littleton, JT. 2013. J Neurosci 33, 17253-63.
    doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3334-13.2013PMID:24174659
  4. A complexin fusion clamp regulates spontaneous neurotransmitter release and synaptic growth. Huntwork, S, Littleton, JT. 2007. Nat Neurosci 10, 1235-7.
    doi: 10.1038/nn1980PMID:17873870
  5. Retrograde signaling by Syt 4 induces presynaptic release and synapse-specific growth. Yoshihara, M, Adolfsen, B, Galle, KT, Littleton, JT. 2005. Science 310, 858-63.
    doi: 10.1126/science.1117541PMID:16272123

Recent Publications

  1. Active zone maturation state controls synaptic output and release mode and is differentially regulated by neuronal activity. Akbergenova, Y, Matthias, J, Littleton, JT. 2025. bioRxiv , .
    doi: 10.1101/2025.02.03.636302PMID:39975213
  2. Stochastic RNA editing of the Complexin C-terminus within single neurons regulates neurotransmitter release. Brija, EA, Guan, Z, Jetti, SK, Littleton, JT. 2023. Cell Rep 42, 113152.
    doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113152PMID:37717212
  3. Molecular logic of synaptic diversity between Drosophila tonic and phasic motoneurons. Jetti, SK, Crane, AB, Akbergenova, Y, Aponte-Santiago, NA, Cunningham, KL, Whittaker, CA, Littleton, JT. 2023. Neuron 111, 3554-3569.e7.
    doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.07.019PMID:37611584
  4. Stochastic RNA editing of the Complexin C-terminus within single neurons regulates neurotransmitter release. Brija, EA, Guan, Z, Jetti, SK, Littleton, JT. 2023. bioRxiv , .
    doi: 10.1101/2023.05.30.542887PMID:37398117
  5. Loss of the extracellular matrix protein Perlecan disrupts axonal and synaptic stability during Drosophila development. Guss, EJ, Akbergenova, Y, Cunningham, KL, Littleton, JT. 2023. Elife 12, .
    doi: 10.7554/eLife.88273PMID:37368474
  6. Molecular Logic of Synaptic Diversity Between Drosophila Tonic and Phasic Motoneurons. Jetti, SK, Crane, AB, Akbergenova, Y, Aponte-Santiago, NA, Cunningham, KL, Whittaker, CA, Littleton, JT. 2023. bioRxiv , .
    doi: 10.1101/2023.01.17.524447PMID:36711745
  7. Mechanisms controlling the trafficking, localization, and abundance of presynaptic Ca2+ channels. Cunningham, KL, Littleton, JT. 2022. Front Mol Neurosci 15, 1116729.
    doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1116729PMID:36710932
  8. Regulation of presynaptic Ca2+ channel abundance at active zones through a balance of delivery and turnover. Cunningham, KL, Sauvola, CW, Tavana, S, Littleton, JT. 2022. Elife 11, .
    doi: 10.7554/eLife.78648PMID:35833625
  9. Regulation of excitation-contraction coupling at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction. Ormerod, KG, Scibelli, AE, Littleton, JT. 2022. J Physiol 600, 349-372.
    doi: 10.1113/JP282092PMID:34788476
  10. The decoy SNARE Tomosyn sets tonic versus phasic release properties and is required for homeostatic synaptic plasticity. Sauvola, CW, Akbergenova, Y, Cunningham, KL, Aponte-Santiago, NA, Littleton, JT. 2021. Elife 10, .
    doi: 10.7554/eLife.72841PMID:34713802
More Publications

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Photo credit: Richard Cho